Herat girl undergoes emergency removal of 8cm leech from throat

A 12-year-old girl in Herat, Afghanistan, required emergency medical intervention after an 8-centimeter leech became lodged in her throat. The incident occurred after the teenager drank untreated water directly from a stream during a family picnic.

According to a study published in Clinical Case Reports by doctors from Herat University and Jami University, the girl initially experienced mild throat irritation. Over the course of a week, her symptoms progressed to include difficulty swallowing, intermittent coughing, and frequent nosebleeds. After initial treatments for a suspected infection failed to resolve the issues, medical professionals identified a dark structure attached to the posterior pharynx.

Physicians successfully removed the live leech using forceps. Following the procedure, the girl's symptoms improved immediately, though medical exams revealed she was suffering from anemia, likely due to the anticoagulant properties of the leech's saliva. She has since begun iron supplementation. Medical experts warned that children are particularly vulnerable to such incidents due to smaller airways and the risks associated with consuming contaminated water.