Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (arachnida: Ixodidae) larvae infestation of human eyelids. A rare case
Article
Kaur, N, Prasher, P, Kumar, K et al. (2019). Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (arachnida: Ixodidae) larvae infestation of human eyelids. A rare case
. 59(1), 21-25. 10.24349/acarologia/20194309
Kaur, N, Prasher, P, Kumar, K et al. (2019). Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (arachnida: Ixodidae) larvae infestation of human eyelids. A rare case
. 59(1), 21-25. 10.24349/acarologia/20194309
An 82-year-old female patient with painful, watery, and itchy eyes was admitted for examination at the Sri Guru Ramdas Institute of Medical Sciences and Research. During the examination, a number of tick larvae were found attached to the patient’s upper and lower eyelid margins. The ticks were manually removed and the patient was treated with topical ciprofloxacin eye ointment. Microscopic studies revealed that all specimens belonged to a single species Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus Canestrini (Acari: Ixodidae) which parasitizes livestock. Although other cases of ocular infestations have been reported, this is the first in North India involving R. (B.) microplus. It is speculated that the patient’s occupation, surrounding conditions and living propensities made her susceptible to contamination by ticks.