Human Myiasis in Abandoned Elderlies of the Niger Delta and South-East Nigeria: Dermatological Implications

Abstract

This paper reports for the first time the findings of human myiasis in abandoned elderlies in the Niger Delta and South-east Nigeria. Most myiasis-causing agents recovered from different parts of the elderlies’ bodies were Cordylobia anthropophaga, Lucilia sericata, Musca domestica, Chrysomia sp and Sarcophaga vilosa. Parts of the body of the abandoned elderlies from where recoveries of dipterous larvae were made are presented. We assessed the infection rates of abandoned elderlies of the two ecological zones in Nigeria [Niger Delta and South-East]. We studied a cohort of 5 - 10 patients presenting different cases of myiasis in elderlies within the age bracket 68 - 92 years. We extracted maggots from different parts of their bodies. Dermatological data showed variations in infection rates of dipteran larval distributions in the abandoned elderlies of Ogbaru Town in South-east; prominent among them were C. anthropophaga 46% [CI 24.5 - 46.3]; Chrysomia sp 27% [CI 95%, 18.3 - 27.3]; L. serricata 20% [CI 95%17.5 - 20.6] and Sarcophaga vilosa, 7% [CI 5.3 - 7.4]. Overall infection rates in abandoned females in Ughelli for the respective dipteran larvae were for C. anthropophaga 40% [CI 95%,36.7 - 44.6]; L. sericata, 29% [CI 95%, 27.5 - 30.3]; Chrysomia sp 22% [C I 95%, 20.5 - 22.8]; S.vilosa 9% [CI 95%, 8.7 - 9.8].