Beware the Eye Worm

Have you ever had an itchy eye? Has your eye ever been red and burning, or have you ever had swelling and discharge from it? These are common symptoms of conjunctivitis. It can be the result of allergies, irritants, bacteria, or viruses. In many cases, the issue will go away on its own, either by flushing the eye, or even taking antihistamines. Sometimes a doctor will prescribe an antibiotic. But what would you do if you suddenly saw something pass through your vision? Checking in the mirror you see it’s a worm? Congratulations, you have just met loa loa, the eye worm.

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Mercy Brown: The Last New England Vampire

Imagine if you will, a disease so deadly, that hospitals were built specifically for those who contracted it. A disease that killed one in seven people, and those who had it, were given an 80% chance of dying. A disease that was highly contagious and believed to be genetic. A disease called “consumption” due to the rapid weight loss it caused (leading people to believe it was consuming them from the inside) in addition to fatigue, night sweats, coughing up white phlegm and in some cases, foamy blood. The disease is Tuberculosis, and in the 1800’s, was believed to be caused by vampirism. Poor Mercy Brown was thought to be one of those vampires.

Tuberculosis hospital
A look inside a hospital, where tuberculosis patients were lined up for care.
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