Myiasis Producing Flies

Introduction

Myiasis is the parasitism of living animals by dipteran larvae. Myiasis can be obligatory or facultative (optional) and is described as cutaneous, nasal or somatic.

Oestridae

Dermatobia hominis

Calliphoridae

Chrysomya bezziana

Maggot Debridement Therapy

Maggot therapy on a wound - Wikimedia Commons

• Human medicine
  • Sterile Lucilia sericata maggots used to treat infected and necrotic wounds
  • Larvae secrete proteolytic enzymes and antimicrobial agents into the wound
  • Larvae do not burrow under the skin or attack healthy tissue

• Veterinary medicine
  • Published reports rare
  • Recently used successfully to treat a suppurative wound in a donkey that did not respond to conventional medical methods and surgery

Wohlfahrtia spp.

• Obligatory parasite

• Occurs in North America

• Parasite of mink and sometimes humans

Recognition

• Large 8-14mm long

• Pale grey

• Black stripes on thorax

• Black spots on abdomen

Life cycle

• Larvae deposited directly onto host

• No egg stage

• Larvae moult twice on host then fall to ground to pupate

Pathogenesis

• Larvae penetrate intact skin
  • Cause boil like swellings

Links

• Viruses

• Ectoparasiticides

• Blowfly strike