Loa Loa Roundworm

*Loa loa*, commonly known as the "eye worm," belongs to the roundworm group (*Nematoda*). It is a human parasite that causes the disease filariasis. Its life cycle is relatively complex and involves both a primary host (humans) and intermediate hosts, which are biting flies. In Africa and India, the bite of these flies can inject *Loa loa* larvae into the human body, where they develop within the subcutaneous tissue until they reach maturity. After fertilization, female worms produce microfilariae, a larval stage that resembles miniature adults. Microfilariae tend to concentrate in human body fluids, including the bloodstream. When a biting fly feeds on infected blood, the microfilariae are ingested and migrate to the fly's thoracic muscles. Here, they develop further into larvae. Once the larvae reach an appropriate size, they move to the fly's proboscis, ready to be transmitted to another human when the fly bites again, thus completing the life cycle.