Nasal Leech Infestation in Man

Abstract

Infestations of two men with the nasal leech, Dinobdella ferox (Blanchard), were discovered in Vietnam in May and June 1969. These infestations, the first to be recorded from U. S. military personnel in Southeast Asia, were characterized by cold-like symptoms and, in one of the two cases, by frequent nosebleeds and hemoptysis. Both patients were members of combat units that had operated in relatively high terrain. Neither had seen action in paddies, or in swampy areas.