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Acta Parasitologica Mar 2024Myiases are infestations of human and animal tissues by fly larvae. These conditions are widespread in tropical countries and travelers in those areas are at risk of...
PURPOSE
Myiases are infestations of human and animal tissues by fly larvae. These conditions are widespread in tropical countries and travelers in those areas are at risk of becoming infested. Although Cordylobia anthropophaga (Blanchard & Berenger-Feraud, 1872) is one of the most common myiasis-causing species, few high-quality images and molecular sequences are available for this fly. We present a case of C. anthropophaga infestation in an Italian patient returning from Senegal, with the aim of increasing both visual and molecular data for this species.
METHODS
After removal, the larva was determined following standardized morphological keys and photographed under a digital microscope. Molecular characterization of the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) was performed using universal primers.
RESULTS
The general appearance, the structural organization of the cephalic region, of the cephaloskeleton, and of the posterior tracheal spiracles suggested that the causative agent of the myiasis was a third instar larva of C. anthropophaga. The morphological data are further supported by the molecular data: the COI sequence showed high levels of identity with the already published verified COI sequences of C. anthropophaga.
CONCLUSION
We provide high-quality morphological and molecular data useful for the identification of larvae of C. anthropophaga. We highlight that myiasis might be common in Senegal and better data about its prevalence in travelers and in the endemic countries are needed to understand the burden of this condition.
Topics: Animals; Myiasis; Senegal; Italy; Larva; Humans; Calliphoridae; Travel; Electron Transport Complex IV; Male; Diptera
PubMed: 38396225
DOI: 10.1007/s11686-024-00807-0 -
Indian Journal of Pathology &... Jul 2023
PubMed: 38391348
DOI: 10.4103/ijpm.ijpm_501_22 -
Journal of Clinical Microbiology Mar 2024Several psychodid flies are commonly associated with human-inhabited environments and have been increasingly implicated in cases of human myiasis. However, the basic... (Review)
Review
Several psychodid flies are commonly associated with human-inhabited environments and have been increasingly implicated in cases of human myiasis. However, the basic biology of psychodid larvae is not well-suited for survival in the human intestinal or urogenital tract, making true, prolonged myiasis unlikely. In this review, we performed a systematic literature review of published cases of purported myiasis caused by psychodid flies, their identification, associated clinical findings, and treatment. We also discuss the anatomy and lifecycle of psychodid flies in relation to their purported ability to use human tissue as a nutritive source and survive in the human alimentary or urogenital tracts. Based on the range of non-specific and varied reported clinical manifestations, lack of observed collections, life cycle patterns of psychodid flies, the mechanics of their mouthparts, and breathing requirements, we conclude that most cases likely represent incidental findings, or in rare cases possibly pseudomyiasis, rather than true myiasis, and provide recommendations for clinical evaluation and reporting so that disease misclassification and unnecessary therapy do not occur.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Psychodidae; Myiasis; Larva; Urogenital System; Intestines
PubMed: 38363141
DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01200-23 -
Veterinary Parasitology Apr 2024The larvae of the nasal bot, Oestrus ovis, mainly parasitize sheep and goats and some species of wild Caprinae but other mammals and humans are also vulnerable to...
The larvae of the nasal bot, Oestrus ovis, mainly parasitize sheep and goats and some species of wild Caprinae but other mammals and humans are also vulnerable to infestation. Eprinomectin 5 mg/mL topical solution (EPRINEX® Multi, Boehringer Ingelheim) administered at 1 mg eprinomectin per kg body weight pour on was recently authorized as an anthelmintic for sheep and goats with zero hours milk withdrawal in several countries in Europe. As the product in cattle has claims against a broad range of parasites including insect parasites and activity against O. ovis has previously been reported following extra-label use in sheep, its therapeutic efficacy against ovine and caprine O. ovis myiasis was evaluated in three regulatory compliant, masked clinical studies. Pre-study recovery of O. ovis larvae from five or six of six randomly selected animals per study site (Bulgaria, one site, sheep; Greece, two sites, sheep or goats) supported the inclusion of the animals from those sites into the studies. The study animals (34 animals per study) were ranked based on bodyweight and allocated randomly to remain untreated (control) or to be treated with eprinomectin 5 mg/mL topical solution at 1 mL per 5 kg body weight pour on. Treatment efficacy was determined based on O. ovis larval counts of eprinomectin 5 mg/mL topical solution-treated vs. untreated animals three weeks after treatment administration. Live O. ovis larvae, including all three instars in each study, were recovered from 13 or 16 of the 17 control animals in the sheep studies (range, 1 to 14 or 5 to 18 larvae, respectively) and from all 17 controls in the goat study (range, 7 to 18 larvae). In each study, eprinomectin 5 mg/mL topical solution-treated animals had significantly (p < 0.001) fewer live O. ovis larvae than the controls. Efficacy of the treatment was 100% and 91.3% against the combined parasitic O. ovis larval stages in sheep and in goats, respectively. The treatment was well accepted by all animals and no health problems were observed throughout the studies. The results of these studies demonstrated eprinomectin 5 mg/mL topical solution administered pour on at 1 mL per 5 kg body weight to be an efficacious and safe treatment of ovine and caprine oestrosis.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Body Weight; Cattle Diseases; Diptera; Goat Diseases; Goats; Ivermectin; Larva; Myiasis; Sheep; Sheep Diseases
PubMed: 38354457
DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110144 -
Veterinary Parasitology, Regional... Feb 2024A German Shepherd dog was presented to a referral practice for screwworm myiasis affecting the ear. The successful management involved killing the larvae with afoxolaner...
A German Shepherd dog was presented to a referral practice for screwworm myiasis affecting the ear. The successful management involved killing the larvae with afoxolaner plus milbemycin oxime and using video otoscopy to completely remove dead larvae. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of auricular myiasis by Chrysomya bezziana in a dog in Singapore and the first report of video otoscopic management of myiasis.
Topics: Animals; Dogs; Screw Worm Infection; Diptera; Singapore; Myiasis; Larva; Dog Diseases
PubMed: 38316506
DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2024.100991 -
Annals of Ibadan Postgraduate Medicine Aug 2023Myiasis is the infestation of tissues of humans and other living vertebrates with the larva of flies, and it can affect any part of the body. Cutaneous myiasis is the...
INTRODUCTION
Myiasis is the infestation of tissues of humans and other living vertebrates with the larva of flies, and it can affect any part of the body. Cutaneous myiasis is the commonest form of presentation. Furuncular myiasis which is a sub-type of cutaneous myiasis typifies the presentation in this index patient. It is commonly caused by in Sub-Saharan African countries including Nigeria. It commonly occurs among rural dwellers, as well as people of low socio-economic and poor educational status.
CASE PRESENTATION
We present a case of balanitis from distal penile myiasis in a 3 year 8-month-old male child of a health worker in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.
CONCLUSION
It is believed that with adequate knowledge, measures such as good hygiene and proper drying and ironing of underwear are helpful.
PubMed: 38298338
DOI: No ID Found -
BMC Genomics Jan 2024Wohlfahrtia magnifica is an obligatory parasite that causes myiasis in several warm-blooded vertebrates. Adult females deposit the first-stage larvae directly onto...
BACKGROUND
Wohlfahrtia magnifica is an obligatory parasite that causes myiasis in several warm-blooded vertebrates. Adult females deposit the first-stage larvae directly onto wounds or natural body orifices (e.g., genitalia) of the host, from where they quickly colonize the host tissue and feed on it for development. The infestation of W. magnifica can lead to health issues, welfare concerns, and substantial economic losses. To date, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of the W. magnifica-causing myiasis.
RESULTS
In this study, we collected parasitic-stage larvae of W. magnifica from wounds of naturally infested Bactrian camels, as well as pupae and adult flies reared in vitro from the wound-collected larvae, for investigating the gene expression profiles of the different developmental stages of W. magnifica, with a particular focus on examining gene families closely related to the parasitism of the wound-collected larvae. As key proteins related to the parasite-host interaction, 2049 excretory/secretory (ES) proteins were identified in W. magnifica through the integration of multiple bioinformatics approaches. Functional analysis indicates that these ES proteins are primarily involved in cuticle development, peptidase activity, immune response, and metabolic processes. The global investigation of gene expression at different developmental stages using pairwise comparisons and weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) showed that the upregulated genes during second-stage larvae were related to cuticle development, peptidase activity, and RNA transcription and translation; during third-stage larvae to peptidase inhibitor activity and nutrient reservoir activity; during pupae to cell and tissue morphogenesis and cell and tissue development; and during adult flies to signal perception, many of them involved in light perception, and adult behavior, e.g., feeding, mating, and locomotion. Specifically, the expression level analysis of the likely parasitism-related genes in parasitic wound-collected larvae revealed a significant upregulation of 88 peptidase genes (including 47 serine peptidase genes), 110 cuticle protein genes, and 21 heat shock protein (hsp) genes. Interestingly, the expression of 2 antimicrobial peptide (AMP) genes, including 1 defensin and 1 diptericin, was also upregulated in the parasitic larvae.
CONCLUSIONS
We identified ES proteins in W. magnifica and investigated their functional distribution. In addition, gene expression profiles at different developmental stages of W. magnifica were examined. Specifically, we focused on gene families closely related to parasitism of wound-collected larvae. These findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the life cycle of the myiasis-causing fly, especially during the parasitic larval stages, and provide guidance for the development of control measures against W. magnifica.
Topics: Animals; Female; Sarcophagidae; Parasites; Myiasis; Diptera; Larva; Pupa; Gene Expression Profiling; Peptide Hydrolases
PubMed: 38297211
DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09949-3 -
Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine :... Jan 2024Eastern box turtles () face a variety of anthropogenic, infectious, and environmental threats and have been affected by high morbidity and mortality disease events....
Eastern box turtles () face a variety of anthropogenic, infectious, and environmental threats and have been affected by high morbidity and mortality disease events. Wellness parameters in free-ranging eastern box turtles with a high prevalence of myiasis on Cape Cod, MA, were documented to identify epidemiologic trends or associations with several health parameters. There were 109 samples collected from 59 individual box turtles over the course of 4 mon. Six turtles died over the course of this study. Fly larvae infestations varied in severity and were observed in the cutaneous and subcutaneous tissue (n = 18; 30.5%). Animals with myiasis had fewer plastron abnormalities than those without ( = 0.034), and all turtles found in bogs had evidence of fly larvae infections ( < 0.0001). Individuals with myiasis also had lower body condition index ( = 0.014), lower total white blood cells ( = 0.031), lower PCV ( < 0.0001), lower total solids ( < 0.0001), higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( < 0.0001), lower calcium ( = 0.018), and lower phosphorus ( = 0.017). Three turtles tested positive for terrapene herpesvirus 1, but presence was not associated with myiasis. Heavy metal analysis revealed no significant differences between turtles with and without myiasis. This study examined the health of a population of eastern box turtles, and continued health assessments will be beneficial in determining the impact of myiasis on future conservation plans.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Turtles; Myiasis; Massachusetts; Calcium, Dietary; Larva
PubMed: 38252002
DOI: 10.1638/2022-0173 -
Insects Jan 2024Meigen (Diptera: Calliphoridae) is widespread throughout North America and Europe. Described in 1826, this blow fly was quickly associated with myiasis in amphibians,...
Meigen (Diptera: Calliphoridae) is widespread throughout North America and Europe. Described in 1826, this blow fly was quickly associated with myiasis in amphibians, and to date has rarely been reported in carrion. There is limited data regarding the time of colonization of animals with fur and the interpretation of this data is difficult due to variation in the animal models used. During an examination of initial insect colonization of cats () with light and dark fur, twelve domestic short-haired cats were placed in cages 15.2 m apart in a grassy field in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. Eggs from initial oviposition events were collected and reared to identify the colonizing species. Three species of (Diptera: Calliphoridae), including , colonized the cats on the initial day of placement. In this study, was the primary colonizer of cats, and this may be the first study where a large number of were collected. Further studies should include development studies on to understand its life history and aid in time of colonization estimations. More work regarding the colonization of furred mammals is needed to further examine as a primary colonizer.
PubMed: 38249038
DOI: 10.3390/insects15010032 -
CJEM Mar 2024
Topics: Animals; Humans; Diptera; Myiasis; Travel
PubMed: 38227171
DOI: 10.1007/s43678-023-00637-5