Factors Associated With The Prevalence Of Vulvar Myiasis Infection In Rural Nursing Mothers Of The Niger Delta, Nigeria

Abstract

The study is the first report on vulva myiasis and sources of its infection in Nigeria. It investigated factors that are associated with vulva myiasis in different groups of rural women in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria. About 3.8% of 1000 rural women examined showed the symptoms and disease occurrences. About 2.7% of rural women of child-bearing age also were infected. Flies of the family Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae were associated with vulvar myiasis in the Niger Delta of Nigeria and they includeCordylobiaanthropophaga, SarcophagavilosaandLuciliasericata. Sources of vulvar infection were from types of sanitary options used by the three categories of rural women identified in the study; the nursing mothers (NM); women of child-bearing age (CBW); women in menopause (MPW, the group did not use any sanitary options) and teenage girls (TNG). The larvae of the aforementioned flies deposited their eggs on recycled pieces of cloths, sanitary pads an which the rural women used during their menses. Types of sanitary options available to the women affected their susceptibility to female myiasis agents. Details of percentage infection and parts infected are presented.