Woman sneezes nearly 1-inch-long ‘worms’ — how she got the ‘biologically implausible’ infection

NY Post ^ | 04/08/2026 | Emma Glassman-Hughes

[BenLurkin]

It all started next to a field of grazing sheep in Greece, where an unidentified 58-year-old was working outdoors in the dry September heat.

She “noticed numerous flies swarming around her face,” according to a new medical report, and about a week later, she began experiencing pain in her sinuses.

The next few weeks brought “severe coughing,” but no other symptoms.

Until one day, Oct. 15 to be exact, she sneezed out a “worm.”

Soon after, an ear, nose and throat doctor got to work surgically removing 10 larvae and a pupa — a teenage insect between the larval and adult stages — from the big sinuses on the side of her nose.

DNA testing of the dislodged critters, one of which was almost an inch long, revealed they were baby sheep bot flies (Oestrus ovis), a parasite with a well-documented history of taking up residence in the nasal passages of sheep and goats.

There have been a handful of cases of these flies setting up shop in human cavities, most commonly around the eyes — a condition known as ophthalmic myiasis — rather than in the nose or mouth. Historically, the larvae in those cases were unable to develop past the first larval stage into full wormlike creatures.

In recent years, that’s changed a bit. There have been reports of later-stage larvae growing in people, especially when the person exhibits immunosuppression or has “traumatic or anatomic abnormalities of the nasal passages.”

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TOPICS: Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: botflies; botfly; flies; goats; parasites; sheep; sinus; sinuses

[Salamander]

/faints

[Tell It Right]

One day when we were younger and eating dinner at the family table, someone said something funny and my brother laughed a spaghetti noodle out his nose.

But this story seems different. LOL

[The Sons of Liberty]

Woman sneezes nearly 1-inch-long ‘worms’ — how she got the ‘biologically implausible’ infection

Doesn't make you want to date Greek women.

[pepsi_junkie]

In recent years, that’s changed a bit. There have been reports of later-stage larvae growing in people, especially when the person exhibits immunosuppression or has “traumatic or anatomic abnormalities of the nasal passages.”

Let me guess - since 2020.

[TalBlack]

Yeah.

I’m gonna read this story.

Right.

[central_va]

My Korean War vet father said many naked children had worms hanging out of their butts. The medic in his squad had pills for parasites that he made him give them. He was squad leader and could do that even though the pills were for GIs.

[\/\/ayne]

Ivermectin, take off your hobo shoes!

[\/\/ayne]

Beware of Greeks bearing worms.

[jerod]

Sounds like another case of maladies created by Global Warming.

[Rio]

I don’t know why she swallowed that fly. Perhaps she’ll die.

[roving]

I just crossed petting sheep off my bucket list.

[Abathar]

LOL!

[VTenigma]

The one time a face mask might have been appropriate.

[Veto!]

Its 2:24 here and I just talked myseof ino eating breakfast. Never-hungry me made a nice pancake, put butter and syrup on it, picked up a fork and.........

How in the world am I ever going to gain a pound while online at FR?
“Life sux and then you die” is almost but not quite true around here.

[albie]

Greeks traditionally have larger noses so that could be a thing?

[oil_dude]

If you want a good time, go to YouTube and watch veterinarians remove bot flies from cats and dogs

[Sirius Lee]

Doesn't make you want to date Greek women.

That's one Greek Salad I want no part of.

[Hot Tabasco]

Or watch that cable program Dr. Pimple Popper.....

No, seriously, don't, don't, don't.........

[ProtectOurFreedom]

She needs to reconsider her choice of attire...