Tropical Medicine & Surgery

Myiasis: The Invasion of Fly Larvae into Human Skin

Adam Galante^* Department of Tropical Medicine, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
^*Correspondence: Adam Galante, Department of Tropical Medicine, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany, Email:

Received: 03-Jul-2023, Manuscript No. TPMS-23-22001; Editor assigned: 07-Jul-2023, Pre QC No. TPMS-23-22001 (PQ); Reviewed: 21-Jul-2023, QC No. TPMS-23-22001; Revised: 28-Jul-2023, Manuscript No. TPMS-23-22001 (R); Published: 04-Aug-2023, DOI: 10.35248/2329-9088.23.11.317

Description

Myiasis is an infection of the skin caused by growing fly larvae (maggots); the word "fly" comes from the Greek word "myia," which means "to swarm." Diptera is an order of arthropods. Dermatobia hominis (human botfly) and Cordylobia anthropophaga (tumbu fly) are the two most prevalent flies that infest humans worldwide. Traditional classifications of myiasis include primary or secondary depending on the biological properties of colonising flies. Primary myiasis is caused by fly species that are obligate parasites, meaning they cannot survive without the living host; in contrast, secondary myiasis is caused by facultative species, which typically develop on decomposing organic material but can take advantage of living hosts (especially in cases where there are already wounds present) to complete their life cycle. Despite being widespread, myiasis is seasonal in nature and is only present during the summer in temperate zones and year-round in warm climate zones like the tropics, south-east Asia, and subtropics of Africa. This seasonal variability is caused by the latitude and the life cycles of specific fly species.

A pertinent issue in public health is the colonisation of living persons by fly maggots. Myiasis is specifically categorised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) according to the anatomical location of the infestation as cutaneous, nasopharyngeal, ophthalmic, auditory, intestinal, and urogenital. Given the frightening effects of global warming on the invasion of new fly species in Western Europe, it is projected that the risk of uninvited human fly larval infection will rise proportionally. However, it should be noted that fly maggot colonisation might be a helpful tool in some clinically controlled conditions. In fact, the so-called "maggot therapy," also known as maggot debridement therapy or larval therapy, is largely responsible for the knowledge of the medical significance of human myiasis.

In order to remove necrotic tissue and clean the lesion, this procedure involves placing sterile fly larvae that have been sorted in a bio bag on a non-healing wound for a predetermined amount of time. The end result is similar to that of microsurgery. Since the development of antibiotics the use of maggot therapy as a surgical alternative in some circumstances has been partially reassessed in various nations. The Diptera species frequently cause myiasis as a result of accidental or purposeful infection. For wound debridement in controlled environments, the latter is employed. The head and neck cavities, especially those around the mouth, nose, ears, and tracheostomy sites, are where otolaryngologic myiasis typically presents. Myiasis of the nasal cavity is uncommon and is typically thought to be a tropical-only condition.

As a result, there is a dearth of case reports and other on nasal myiasis in the West. There is no established method for treating nasal myiasis, and there are no well-researched care strategies due to the condition's rarity. Only a few cases of genital myiasis have been documented to date, making it a rare illness. Certain cultural practises, socioeconomically underdeveloped areas, and fly-friendly weather are all linked to the disease. Symptoms including soreness, erythema, and inflammation are frequently present when the external female genitalia are affected, especially the labia major and minor. We describe a post-menopausal woman from who had urogenital myiasis. This is the only case series of nasal myiasis in western literature that is currently available, and it offers a treatment plan that has proven to be secure and efficient in actual practise. Therefore, a misinterpretation of myiasis could actually lead to an overestimation of misinterpretation of colonised skin defects. A thorough understanding of this phenomenon may give the forensic pathologist additional elements to estimate the time since death in a more accurate manner and evaluate potential cases of neglect.