An un-BEE-lievable story is coming out of Taiwan after a woman discovered that 4 bees were living inside of her eye and feeding off of her tears.
The 29-year-old woman began suffering from severe eye pain last week and found four bees under her eyelid feeding on her tear ducts, according to local outlet CTS News. Doctors described the incident as the “world’s first” but expect the woman to make a full recovery since she did not excessively rub her eyes, which could’ve led to further inflammation of her cornea or blindness, The Straits Times reports.
The woman is only being identified by her last name He. Doctors spoke during a press conference and revealed that He first started feeling discomfort while cleaning a relative’s grave when the insects unknowingly flew into her eye, according to Business Insider Singapore.
The woman initially thought it was dirt or sand in her eye and tried flushing it out with water, to no avail. During the evening, the woman started experiencing sharp pains and watery eyes, which led her to seek out medical advice. Doctors at Fooyin University Hospital in Taiwan eventually discovered four sweat bees under her swollen eyelids that were feeding on her tear ducts.
Professor Hung Chi-ting said he removed the living insects individually from her eye.
“I saw something that looked like insect legs, so I pulled them out under a microscope slowly, and one at a time without damaging their bodies,” he said during the press conference, according to Business Insider Singapore.
While sweat bees do not attack people, Dr. Hung said they are attracted to human perspiration and are often found near gravesites, which is where they believe the woman encountered the unwanted visitors that began living in her eye.
However, He is expected to make a full recovery. Dru. Hung has suggested that she wear goggles during her next visit to her relative’s grave.
