A four-year-old Taichung City boy was taken to hospital yesterday after a leech crawled inside his nose and lodged itself in his nasal passage.
A Central News Agency (CNA) report said that the boy had been playing in water and complained of an itchy nose that bled sporadically.
His parents discovered that a leech had lodged itself inside the boy's naval cavity, and rushed him to Taichung Veterans General Hospital, where doctors performed an examination.
The leech turned out to be 5cm in length, CNA said.
Sinuses
According to Tu Chih-wen (
The leech left behind a clearly visible opening in the sinuses after it was removed.
Leeches release a numbing chemical such that their hosts are often unaware that they are there at all, Tu said.
Anti-coagulant
Leeches also secrete an anti-coagulant to ensure that there is a continuous supply of blood, he said.
Leeches flourish on the banks of rivers and streams and on lake shores.
Parents are advised to be alert when children are playing in water, and if symptoms such as itchiness or sporadic bleeding do occur, parents should seek medical attention for their children immediately.
There is no need to worry about children playing in swimming pools, as chemical treatment of the water repels leeches, CNA said.
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