20 live worms pulled out of Chinese man's eye [video]

Nearly 20 live parasites have been pulled out from a Chinese man's eye after they are believed to have lived inside him for a year.

Revolting footage shows the white worms squirming in a bowl after they were removed from Mr Wan, a sports lover in his 60s.

Doctors believed that the patient had been bitten by bugs carrying parasitic larvae while exercising outdoors, reported local media.

The incident came to light when Mr Wan sought medical attention at the Suzhou Municipal Hospital in eastern China.

The patient said he felt something was stuck in his eyes a year ago, but he didn't pay too much attention to it, according to a report.

He finally went to the doctor after his condition worsened recently.

While treating Mr Wan, surgeons found that his eye had been infected with nearly 20 worms living inside.

A video shows the medic pulling out a wiggling white parasite from the patient's eye before putting it into a container.

The worms belong to a species called 'thelazia callipaeda', which is the most common cause of thelaziasis, also known as eyeworm infestation.

They are mostly found in dogs and cats but they can be passed onto humans when people are exposed to infected flies which feed on eye secretions.

Dr Xi Ting, an ophthalmologist at the Suzhou hospital, told reporters that Mr Wan had been bitten by flies before while playing outdoor sports.

The parasites had likely gotten into his body through the infected bugs.

The Chinese man is believed to be recovering following the successful surgery.