Parasite lived 15 days in 70-year-old man's nose

Doctor Vo Hoai Nam, working at Que Phong District Medical Center, said he had just successfully removed a foreign object, a leech (called "tac te" in Thai), which has a similar shape to a leech but has a larger suction cup, from the nose of patient Tho Cho Gia, 70 years old, a Mong ethnic person in Cha Lang village, Huu Khuong commune, Tuong Duong.

The tac (tac ta) is about 6cm long, as big as a matchstick, and has a very large suction cup, picked from Mrs. Tho Cho Gia's nose. Photo: Hung Cuong

Mrs. Tho Cho Gia said that 15 days ago, she went to the field and drank water and washed her face in the stream. Afterwards, Mrs. Cho Gia felt itchy, stuffy nose and bleeding. After examination, she discovered that there was a foreign object in her nose.