loiasis

a disease, occurring in West and Central Africa, caused by the eye worm LOA . The adult worms live and migrate within the skin tissues, causing the appearance of transitory calabar swellings. These are probably an allergic reaction to the worms' waste products, and they sometimes lead to fever and itching. Worms often migrate across the eyeball just beneath the conjunctiva, where they cause irritation and congestion. Loiasis is treated with DIETHYLCARBAMAZINE , which kills both the adults and larval forms.