Furuncular myiasis in two Nigerian siblings – Case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Myiasis is an infestation of the body of a mammal by fly larva that grows inside and feeds on the tissue of the host. It is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, southeast Mexico, South America, and Central America. It can occur in any age group and has no sex predilection. It is mostly seen among the rural population with many cases unreported and undiagnosed. We report two otherwise healthy Nigerian siblings with furuncular myiasis, who were initially diagnosed with furunculosis and received antibiotics from various hospitals without improvement. The larvae were removed with forceps after application of petroleum jelly and had full healing of all lesions on follow-up. Furuncular myiasis should be considered a differential diagnosis of furunculosis that is not responding to antibiotics, especially in travellers to endemic areas.