My girlfriend has a parasitic eye infection. Is it contagious?

Question

Hi doctor,

My girlfriend had some irritation in her eye. So, we went to the doctor, who said she has a parasite in her eye. After reading about it on the internet, I am worried that she might go blind. It is a very new relationship, so I wanted to know if it is contagious?

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

The parasite inside the eye is usually, cysticercus or hydatid. It is not transmitted through natural sexual routes. It is usually ingested through food. Some parasites, for example, lice or mites infesting the eyelashes are transmitted through physical contact. But, they are easily treatable without any long-standing damage. The parasites mentioned above that reside inside the eye are rare and not transmitted through vaginal sex. However, some rare parasites may be transmitted through the skin. Investigations to be done include. Dilated retinal examination, Toxoplasma antibody IgG and IgM and CT scan of the head and orbit for cysticercosis. I advice you to take Antihelminthic, Azithromycin for toxoplasmosis and Steroids to control inflammation. Also, certain infections like toxoplasmosis are bloodborne. So, kindly ascertain with an ophthalmologist about the type and location of the parasite. So, we can guide you more conclusively.