Digest

The episode begins with a brief introduction by Mr. Ballin, promoting his other podcast, Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries. He then introduces the story of Abby Beckley, a young woman who experienced a strange and unsettling encounter with a worm in her eye while working on a fishing boat in Alaska. The episode details Abby's initial discomfort, the discovery of the worm, and her subsequent journey to seek medical help. Abby travels back to Oregon to seek medical attention for her eye condition. She visits an ophthalmologist who initially dismisses her concerns, but after further examination, discovers the presence of worms in her eye. Dr. Richard Bradbury, a parasite expert at the CDC, receives a package containing the worms extracted from Abby's eye. He initially believes them to be California eyeworms, but upon closer examination, realizes they are a different, previously unknown species. The episode reveals the unusual life cycle of the worm identified as Thalazia galosa. These worms live on the surface of a cow's eye, reproduce, and are then ingested by flies that later vomit them out, often into the eyes of other cows. Abby receives her diagnosis and learns that she is the 11th person in North American history to be infected with Thalazia galosa. The doctor advises her to remove the worms herself, as medication could cause further complications. The episode concludes with a brief note about the use of aliases and the disclaimer that the content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The episode credits are then listed.

Outlines

00:00:00

A Rare Worm in the Eye: Abby's Story

This episode tells the story of Abby Beckley, a young woman who contracted a rare parasitic worm called Thalazia galosa while working in Alaska. The episode details her initial discomfort, the discovery of the worm, and her subsequent journey to seek medical help.

00:01:21

Diagnosis and Treatment

Abby travels back to Oregon to seek medical attention for her eye condition. She visits an ophthalmologist who initially dismisses her concerns, but after further examination, discovers the presence of worms in her eye. Dr. Richard Bradbury, a parasite expert at the CDC, identifies the worm as Thalazia galosa and reveals its unusual life cycle. Abby receives her diagnosis and learns that she is the 11th person in North American history to be infected with Thalazia galosa. The doctor advises her to remove the worms herself, as medication could cause further complications.

00:16:19

Other Podcasts and Closing Remarks

This chapter briefly introduces a new podcast, "Hysterical," which explores a mysterious illness that spread through a high school in Leroy, New York. The chapter also promotes another podcast, "Even the Royals," which delves into the lives of royal families throughout history. The episode concludes with a brief note about the use of aliases and the disclaimer that the content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The episode credits are then listed.

Keywords

Q&A

• What is the unusual life cycle of the worm that infected Abby?

  The worm, Thalazia galosa, lives on the surface of a cow's eye, reproduces, and is then ingested by flies. The flies later vomit the baby worms, often into the eyes of other cows.

• Why did the doctors initially dismiss Abby's concerns about having worms in her eye?

  They initially believed her symptoms were caused by mucus or a common eye infection, as they had never encountered a case of Thalazia galosa in a human before.

• What is the significance of Abby's case in medical history?

  Abby is only the 11th person in North American history to be diagnosed with Thalazia galosa, making her case a rare and unusual medical event.

Show Notes