Dipterous Fly Larvae Research Articles

Myiasis in Patients after Surgery, Brachytherapy, and Exenteration of the Orbit Due to Basal Cell Carcinoma.

Massive infiltration of the orbital tissues by dipterous fly larvae (ophthalmomyiasis) occurs throughout the world but is very rare in middle Europe countries. We report a patient with periocular basal cell carcinoma treated by surgical excisions, due to relapses followed by a high dose rate of HDR Ir192 brachytherapy which led to the necessity of orbital exenteration. The patient after many surgical operations and radiotherapy for recurrent periocular basal cell carcinoma through the years. Since 2021 the patient has not attended doctors during the COVID pandemic period. Due to socioeconomic problems, the patient continued in 2023 with infiltration of the orbital cavity and paranasal sinuses with myiasis. Exenteration of the orbit can be necessary after a relapsed infiltrative type of basal cell carcinoma infiltrating also periorbital cavities. Fly maggots may have had beneficial but also destructive effects on the exenterated cavity healing process.

Childhood Furuncular Cutaneous Myiasis Associated with Seborrheic Dermatitis: A Case Report

Myiasis is a parasitic infection caused by dipterous fly larvae that can affect various organs in both human and animals. Cutaneous myiasis is the most common type of myiasis and can be classified into three categories, localized furuncular myiasis, migratory myiasis, and wound myiasis. One of the risk factors for myiasis is seborrheic dermatitis. The definitive treatment for the condition requires complete extraction of larvae, in combination with oral therapy, and localized occlusion to promote hypoxia. This paper reports a case of a 12-year-old girl with furuncular cutaneous myiasis associated with seborrheic dermatitis on the occipital region that showed significant improvements after manual extraction of larvae after local anesthesia injection of 2% lidocaine on the base of the lesion, in combination with oral and topical therapies

Vulvo-vaginal myiasis among rural women in West Bengal, India

Myiasis, the infestation of living or dead tissue of vertebrates by larvae (maggots) of dipterous flies, is well-known in the medical field. Different parts of the human body, such as skin, oral, nasal, urogenital are affected and named accordingly. The present study was a clinic-entomological study where the women having vulvo-vaginal myiasis were included. Maggots were collected, cultured, and adult flies were identified. A total of 34 cases of vulvo-vaginal myiasis were treated. The larvae of 29 cases were cultured into adults. Most of the women are rural (94%), illiterate and from a low socioeconomic society. The authors specified the infested sites of vulva and vagina such as vaginal, labia, clitoris, episiotomy wound, vulval growth, and prolapsed uterus. The episiotomy wound (32%) is the most common infestation site, followed by the vagina (26%). Chrysomya bezziana (76%) and Chrysomya megacephala (24%) are the identified flies. Illiterate, rural puerperal mothers of low socioeconomic status without proper health education and basic hygiene knowledge are vulnerable to myiasis.

A dermoscopic study of cutaneous myiasis: other findings.

Myiasis is a cutaneous infestation by the larvae of dipterous flies. It can be furuncular/nodular, papular, or pustular. Diagnosis of cutaneous myiasis depends mainly on clinical examination especially for the nodular form. The latter two forms can present diagnostic difficulties. Dermoscopy has been reported to be helpful. This report illustrates some of the dermoscopic features of this condition. The history, clinical findings, and dermoscopic findings of 15 affected individuals were documented. Dermoscopy in all patients showed the posterior end of larvae (creamy-white bodies and respiratory spiracles resembling birds' legs with digitated feet). Larval motility and bubbles were noticed in 15 and 10 of patients, respectively. Skin surrounding the larvae showed hypopigmentation in 11 patients and an increase in dilated capillaries in 13. Dermoscopy can facilitate the diagnosis of myiasis particularly of the papular and pustular forms.

Ophthalmomyiasis secondary to infected scleral buckle

Ophthalmomyiasis is an infestation of human eye with dipterous fly larvae. Oestrus ovis is the most common cause of human myiasis. However to the best of our knowledge there is no documented case report regarding maggots infestation secondary to infected scleral buckle. Hence, we report a rare case of ophthalmomyiasis being affected due to infected scleral buckle. A 68 years old female, presented with acute symptoms of severe pain, watering , pricking sensation of her right eye since 10 days and foul smelling blood stained discharge since 1 day mimicking an unilateral external ocular foreign body. Patient is shepherd by occupation since 20 years. On examination a circumferentially anteriorly displaced exposed infected solid scleral buckle explant was noted. Prompt diagnosis, mechanical removal of buckle and sixty live larvae from the right eye under topical anaesthesia were removed. Investigations like X-ray orbit, DNE and imprint cytology were done. Symptomatic treatment as well as a dose of ivermectin 9 mg tablet was given. Patient was advised maintenance of good personal hygiene and regular follow ups. A case of Ophthalmomyiasis secondary to infected scleral buckle detected incidentally was thoroughly investigated and followed up. Special care and attention should be given to the medically and physically compromised patients. Accurate understanding and management of such cases are important to avert complications such as internal Ophthalmomyiasis.

Morphological and initial molecular characterization of Clogmia albipunctatus larvae (Diptera: Psychodidae) causing urinary myiasis in Egypt.

Myiasis is the infestation of human tissues by dipterous fly larvae of the class Insecta. Clogmia albipunctatus, family Psychodidae, is one of the most medically important insects that cause human myiasis. The aim of the present study is the morphological identification and the molecular characterization of moth flies causing many cases of urinary myiasis in Egypt, based on sequencing of the mitochondrial DNA of the larvae. Seven urinary samples of patients complaining of urinary symptoms and giving a history of low socioeconomic level were examined. Recovered larvae were identified using light microscopy and SEM. For molecular identification, the mitochondrial genes Cytochrome B (cytB), NADH1, NADH1, and 16S were sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. The morphological and molecular characterization could accurately diagnose our patients to have C. albipunctatus infestation. Such results provided the initial set of data on the molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of moth flies based on DNA barcoding in Egypt.

Ophthalmomyiasis Caused by Oestrus ovis

Ophthalmomyiasis externa refers to the involvement of external surface of eyes by the larvae of dipterous flies. We here describe case of external ophthalmomyiasis wherein larvae (five in number) were removed by using forceps under local anaesthesia and identified as larvae of Oestrus ovis. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2019; 9(4):161-163.

A rare case report of aural myiasis in a 24-day old neonate in Tanzania

<p>Aural myiasis refers to the infestation of the ear by the larvae of certain dipterous flies. The disease-producing flies prefer a warm and humid environment and higher incidence occur in tropics and subtropics of Africa and America. Aural myiasis is rare during neonatal life and children with tendencies of poking the ear need immediate review by otorhinolaryngologists for thorough otological review. The objective is thus to report the case of a 24-day old neonate who was diagnosed to have aural myiasis upon otoendoscopy at a private health facility in Tanzania. This is the first reported case of neonatal aural myiasis in our country. Neonates with tendencies to poke ears and with irritability should be handled with care by having immediate Otorhinolaryngologist review to exclude aural pathologies such as aural myiasis. Removal of the maggot, instilling ototopical antibiotics admixed with aural antiseptics, systemic antibiotics and close follow up for meticulous aural toilet remains the main stay in management of aural myiasis.</p>

Wound myiasis caused by Lucilia sericata in an open femoral fracture treated with external fixation

On examination of the wound of a patient who was treated previously with external fixation for a diaphysial fracture of the femur, we observed the presence of multiple living larvae (maggots) of dipterous flies. Treatment included removal of the maggots and use of antibiotic. The importance of hygiene and sanitation is discussed.

Neonatal umbilical myiasis

Myiasis is an infection of live mammalian tissue by the larvae of dipterous flies and commonly found in the tropical and subtropical area. It usually infects domestic and wild animals, but rarely affects humans as well. Neonatal umbilical myiasis is an unusual occurrence with only a few reported cases in the literature. We report a case of an 8-day-old neonate from a rural area who presented with umbilical myiasis caused by larval form of Chrysomya megacephala.

Case Report of Human Intestinal Myiasis Caused by Lucilia illustris

Introduction: Myiasis is a parasitic infestation of the animal or human body, caused by dipterous fly larvae feeding on the host’s necrotic or living tissues. Intestinal myiasis is usually an accidental phenomenon, which can be caused by the ingestion of fly larvae present in food or water. Case Presentation: Herein, we present a case of accidental human intestinal myiasis, caused by Lucilia illustris larva in a 45-year-old rural woman, who was admitted to the hospital with specific abdominal pain and loose stool. The stool examination of the patient revealed L. illustris larva. Following the excretion of larva, the symptoms completely resolved within a few hours, and the patient remained asymptomatic several weeks later. Conclusions: Intestinal myiasis in humans is probably an accidental myiasis, related to the ingestion of contaminated uncooked food or water containing fly larvae, especially in individuals with poor hygienic conditions. Nevertheless, this is the first reported case of intestinal myiasis due to L. illustris in Iran.

Vulvar myiasis: A rare case report

Introduction: Myiasis is a parasitic infestation of tissues of living vertebrae by the larvae of dipterous flies. The condition usually occurs on exposed part of the body. The location of myiasis is very rarely seen on the vulvar area. Case Report: We present a case of vulvar myiasis affecting a 72-year-old female. The patient was investigated for any predisposing factor. The larvae were removed after application of turpentine oil. Conclusion: Genital myiasis is very uncommon. Awareness of the disease and careful examination of the lesion is important for making correct diagnosis.

Persistent pediatric gastro-intestinal myiasis: A case report of fly larval infestation with musca domestica with review of literature

The occurrence of dipterous fly larvae in human is termed as human myiasis. Human myiasis can be classified based on clinical condition it causes like cutaneous myiasis, ocular myiasis, urogenital myiasis and intestinal myiasis. Based on the need for a particular host, myiasis can be divided as specific myiasis, semi-specific myiasis. Accidental myiasis results when the fly larvae are deposited/ingested by human resulting in infestation, which is also called as pseudomyiasis. Fly larvae may be present on the dead and decaying organic matter and domestic animals like dog and cats which are naturally infested with fly larvae and can be source for infection in children. Very few cases have been retrieved from literature on the occurrence of intestinal myiasis in children throughout the world. We report a case of two siblings in the same family infested with dipterous fly larvae.

Identification of Human Remains by DNA Analysis of the Gastrointestinal Contents of Fly Larvae

Dipterous fly larvae (maggots) are frequently collected from a corpse during a criminal investigation. Previous studies showed that DNA analysis of the gastrointestinal contents of maggots might be used to reveal the identity of a victim. However, this approach has not been used to date in legal investigations, and thus its practical usefulness is unknown. A badly burned body was discovered with its face and neck colonized by fly larvae. Given the condition of the body, identification was not possible. Short tandem repeat (STR) typing was performed using the gastrointestinal contents of maggots collected from the victim and was compared to STR profiles obtained from the alleged father. The probability of paternity was 99.685%. Thus, this comparative DNA test enabled the conclusive identification of the remains. This is the first reported case of analysis of human DNA isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of maggots used to identify a victim in a criminal case.

Symblepharon secondary to ophthalmomyiasis externa in a dog

A 4-month-old crossbred female dog presented with complaints of poor vision and odd appearance of the eyes. At the age of a month, the animal was found lying in a railway road in a very bad condition and was rescued from death. At that time, the patient was presented with severe bilateral ocular discharge, and from both eyes, dipterous fly larvae were extracted. The dog was given symptomatic treatment (deworming, topical and systemic antibiotics, nutritional support) but never regained a normal eye appearance. At the time of the initial presentation, it had severe vision impairment because of bilateral cicatricial symblepharon, total in the left eye and occupying 3/4 of the cornea in the right eye. Surgery was proposed to attempt a resolution. Superficial keratectomy was performed in both eyes. After a midline incision in the cornea, the conjunctiva was dissected away. The conjunctiva was apposed to and sutured to the limbus and secured in the upper and lower conjunctival fornix. Additionally, in the left eye, a lateral canthotomy and canthoplasty were performed to enlarge the size of the eyelid opening. The corneal epithelium healed without complications, the patient regained vision, and after 36 months of follow-up, no recurrences were observed. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of symblepharon secondary to ophthalmomyiasis externa in a dog.

Nasopharyngeal myiasis in a 52 years old woman in ICU

Myiasis is an infectation of living vertebrates causing by the larvae of (Maggots) dipterous flies: This infection occurs most frequently, in tropical climates. The presence of disease in domestic animals is a global agricultural problem. Case Report: This case is a nasopharyngeal Myiasis in a 52 years old woman who was admitted in ICU. We report the symptoms and outcome of the disease to help physicians and neursing staffs who may be involved in such ectoparasitic infestation.

Maggots reveal a case of antemortal insect infestation

Insects on corpses can give a wide range of information in forensic investigations. The most common application is calculating when insects oviposited on a dead person to give an estimation of the postmortem interval [1]. Since the infestation of a dead body may be delayed by certain circumstances such as indoor locations [2] or wrapping [3], it is more accurate to talk about the colonization time. Insects, being restricted to a certain area, can give further hints to the investigators such as if a body has been moved to a different location after death; also, body parts of insects can link a suspect to a crime scene [4]. Another application is the detection of toxic substances in insects feeding from dead persons' tissues [5]. There have been several studies done according to the biology of these animals' living associated with corpses as well as their application in legal investigations in the last years [6–12]. Many necrophagous flies are attracted by the odor of decomposition [13], but for some, other odors such as those from urine, feces, and the associated bacterial fauna are quite attractive and stimulate oviposition [14, 15]. The infestation of the living by dipterous fly larvae is known as myiasis. Wounds or anogenital regions are often found being fed by maggots in cases of neglect in humans or animals [16–19]. In certain cases, the chronologically nonmatching infestation of the anogenital area and favorable sites for oviposition of flies being attracted by the dead, such as the face, can give both the information of how long somebody has been neglected as well as how long a person has been dead [14, 15, 20]. Flies of the genus Lucilia belong to one of the first and most abundant summer species on corpses in Europe [21] and play an important role as facultative parasite causing myiasis [22]. It has to be emphasized that blowfly maggots will mostly feed from necrotic tissues [23] and will seldom eat the fresh and healthy skin or organs in humans or animals which has been reported for other fly species such as those from the family Oestridae under mostly tropical circumstances [24]. This unique property of fly maggots is commonly used in the maggot debridement therapy for treating nonhealing wounds [25]. Sterile fly larvae are applied to such resulting in a cleaning, disinfection, and increased healing-rate of the damaged tissue. The green bottle fly Lucilia sericata is the usual species used in this form of wound management [26]. The following case of an elderly dead woman reports the possibility to distinguish between maggot infestation before and after death, helping to reconstruct the formerly unknown circumstances.

The scuttle fly

The scuttle fly

Infestação por miíase em prolapso retal: relato de caso e revisão de literatura

INTRODUÇÃO: a miíase é uma afecção causada pela presença de larvas de moscas em órgãos ou tecidos do homem e de outros animais. Sua localização preferida em humanos é na pele, com ocorrências descritas nas cavidades naturais. Seu tratamento é baseado na remoção mecânica das larvas e no desbridamento cirúrgico de tecidos desvitalizados. OBJETIVO: descrição do caso de um paciente com prolapso retal associado à infestação por miíase, discutindo sua incidência, sintomatologia e tratamento. RELATO DO CASO: L.C.S, 36 anos, masculino, com prolapso retal há um ano. Habitante de região rural, com baixo nível sócio-econômico, não possuía banheiros ou qualquer tipo de saneamento básico em sua residência. Ao exame proctológico, evidenciava-se prolapso retal edemaciado, com áreas cavitárias com necrose, secreção purulenta e grande quantidade de larvas de míiase. Realizou-se retirada mecânica das larvas com posterior debridamento cirúrgico. Optou-se pela confecção de uma colostomia em alça do sigmóide, devido à extensa área cruenta com lesão esfincteriana interna. CONCLUSÕES: O acometimento da miíase retal em prolapsos é raro, e deve ser prontamente diagnosticado e tratado. Um simples exame proctológico é fundamental para este fim. Salienta-se a necessidade contínua da educação em saúde, bem como se enfatiza a importância dos hábitos de higiene na população.

Infestation of an owl (Bubo bubo) with Lucilia spp.

Myiasis is an infestation of tissue with the larval stage of dipterous flies. This condition mostly affects the skin but may also occur in certain body cavities. It can occur in either animals or humans and is caused by parasitic dipterous fly larvae feeding on the host's necrotic or living tissue. This disease rarely effects birds especially owls. In this study, infestation of an owl with cutaneous myiasis is reported. In October 2008, a wounded owl was referred by the environmental department of Chaharmahal–Bakhtiary province to the clinic of veterinary science at Shahrekord University in west central Iran. At the initial examination, clinical signs were extensive with a wound under the right wing. The wound was infested with 40 white conical maggots, 3–9 mm in length, which led to a diagnosis of myiasis in the owl. The maggots were carefully collected from the wound using sterile forceps and were kept in 70% ethanol and transferred to the laboratory of parasitology where the diagnosis was undertaken by the observation of posterior and anterior spiracle and cephalopharyngeal apparatus. According to key diagnostic features for maggots in birds, the larvae were identified as Lucilia sericata and Lucilia cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae). The wound was treated using usual acaricides, but due to the severity of the infestation and because of the delay in referring the animal to the clinic, it died 3 days post-treatment. This is the first report in Iran of an infestation of the Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) with L. sericata and L. cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae).