MYIASIS, GENERAL Myiasis is the invasion of the body by fly larvae. During this period, the larvae feed on live or dead tissues. Depending on the life cycle of the insect, myiasis is obligatory or facultative. In obligatory myiasis, the larvae have to spend part of their life cycle on a living host. Examples are Cordylobia anthropophaga, Dermatobia hominis, Cochliomyia hominivorax, Chrysomyia bezziana and Wohlfarthia sp. In facultative myiasis, the larvae are normally free-living, often on corpses, rotting meat, etc., but are sometimes found on living hosts (e.g. Calliphora, Lucilia, Phormia and Sarcophaga sp.) They can infect wounds and superficial ulcers. Sterile cultured live larvae that feed on dead tissue are sometimes used therapeutically for debridement of persistent wounds, including diabetes wounds. In forensic medicine, the time of death can be estimated by the species of insect maggot found at the time of a body’s discovery. Clinically, a distinction is drawn between cutaneous, urogenital, nasopharyngeal, ophthalmic and intestinal myiasis. Obligatory intestinal myiasis occurs only in animals, not in humans.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 11:41:16 +0000
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