Warning issued over eye worm infections

Pet owners have been warned that an eye infection caused by a parasitic worm increasingly common in mainland Europe could spread to the UK.

The disease, Thelazia callipaeda or oriental eye worm, is transmitted by a type of fruit-fly that lands on the eyes and deposits infective larvae. Cats, dogs and people catch it from the flies, which feed on eye secretions.

According to a BBC report, there have been three recent canine cases reported in the UK, but the animals had been imported from abroad. All made a full recovery following drug treatment and eye washes to flush out the adult worms.