A fly that lays larvae under human skin

Ophthalmomyasm is the parasitism of larvae of a certain family of flies in the human eye. In most cases, the larvae develop only to the first stage and the disease does not occur. But sometimes the parasites manage to remain in the eye tissues until they fully mature, which causes severe myiasis.

The ways in which the larvae enter the eyes are quite varied. These can be dirty hands, napkins infested with flies, and the flies themselves that manage to lay larvae in the eye (or nearby) of a sleeping person, and even some types of mosquitoes as carriers. Many larvae have the ability to pierce tissue and penetrate under the mucous membrane. Their peculiarity is that, being obligate parasites, the larvae continue to live in human tissues until they mature and only then come out.

Parasites are everywhere: outside and inside

The word "parasite" comes from the Greek parasites - parasite. These organisms live and reproduce in the organs and tissues of the host, causing severe illness and even death. Such an infection is called an invasion. Parasites are divided into several groups, depending on their structure and “habitat,” and all of them are very dangerous.

Ectoparasites

This group includes parasitic organisms that live on or inside the skin. They cause itching, dermatitis, allergies, and carry dangerous infections.

• Head, body and pubic lice use their mouthparts to pierce the host's skin and drink blood. Infection with them is called pediculosis. Insects carry dangerous diseases - typhus and relapsing fever.
• The demodex mite (mite) is the causative agent of a disease called demodicosis. The length of the parasite is 0.48 mm, so it is not visible to the naked eye. The mite lives in human hair follicles, causing inflammation (folliculitis) and dermatitis. Damage to the eyebrows and eyelashes also leads to eye infections.
• The scabies mite causes, as the name suggests, scabies. The female parasite, 0.25–0.38 mm long, gnaws through the epidermis (layers of skin) to lay eggs. Scabies are formed in the thickness of the skin. Parasitism causes itching, rash, and allergic reactions. Affected: armpits, groin area, abdomen, interdigital spaces. The disease spreads quickly, because the female lays 3-4 eggs every day, from which larvae hatch after 2-3 days.

Endoparasites

Internal parasites live in the host organs (intestines, kidneys, liver) and blood, causing infection (invasion). There are more than 25 species of endoparasites. Every year, 15–16 million people die due to their fault.

Endoparasites include worms (worms) and protozoa. In recent years, the number of infestations has increased. Hidden forms of parasitism predominate; in 80% of cases the owner does not know that uninvited “guests” have settled in his body. Deaths due to parasitic diseases have also become more frequent. The development of tourism with visits to exotic countries has led to infection with tropical parasites, which in Russian conditions are difficult to identify and destroy.

Helminths

The most common of these parasites are:

• Roundworms are roundworms up to 40 cm long that live in the small intestine. The female lays up to 200 thousand eggs per day. Worms weaken the body, cause anemia and digestive disorders. Having huddled together, the worms clog the intestinal lumen and cause obstruction. Sometimes huge balls of tangled roundworms are removed from a person during surgery.
• Tapeworms (wide tapeworms) are tapeworms that, once they enter the human body, do not produce symptoms for a long time. The helminth, growing, causes bloating, anemia, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract and intestinal obstruction. People become infected with tapeworm by eating poorly processed fish.
• Pork and bovine tapeworms enter the body by eating undercooked meat that contains cysts (larvae) of the worm. Parasites multiply quickly, populating the host's body. A case of one person being parasitized by 104 pork tapeworms, the total length of which was 128 meters, is described. Sometimes tapeworm larvae begin to “walk” throughout the body, causing tissue swelling, high fever and muscle pain.
• Pinworms are small worms that live in the intestines. They are not as harmless as they seem. Infection causes allergic reactions; helminths crawl into the appendix, causing inflammation.
• Nematodes are a group of roundworms that parasitize the intestinal tract. Worms cause irritation of the intestinal wall and blockage of the bile ducts. 45 species of nematodes inhabit the human body. The most common are intestinal eel and whipworm.

Some worms live outside the gastrointestinal tract, causing extraintestinal helminthiases (flukes, echinococcus, pork tapeworm cysts). They cause damage to the nervous system, brain and internal organs. Patients have a fever, swelling, and blood in the urine. Dirofilariasis is dangerous, in which parasites are found in the heart. The parasite causes pain similar to the manifestation of ischemic heart disease.

Protozoa

In recent years, protozoan parasites have become widespread, affecting various organs and tissues:

• Giardia is an organism that affects the small intestine and leads to peristalsis disorders. The disease is often asymptomatic.
• Trichomonas and chlamydia are protozoa that cause inflammation of the genitourinary system.
• Blastocysts are intestinal parasites that irritate the mucous membrane and reduce immunity.
• Dysenteric amoebas are protozoa that cause a protracted form of ulcerative colitis. A person experiences abdominal pain, loose stools, and fever. The disease is dangerous due to intestinal perforation.

How do signs of maggots appear in dogs?

It is not difficult to notice maggots on a dog’s body - you just need to unroll the fur in certain places on the animal’s body. Sometimes, due to the thick fur, it is not possible to detect parasites right away, but the pet itself usually helps. Crawling, the larvae cause him a lot of anxiety, so a non-paralyzed dog will itch or try to lick the wound. Accordingly, the owner should pay increased attention to exactly the same area as the pet itself.

In advanced cases, deep holes appear on the body, formed by the larvae eating the flesh of a living creature. Taking a closer look at them, you will also probably notice worms, about 2-5 mm long.

Additional symptoms

By eating living flesh, fly larvae cause considerable discomfort to your pet, so it is not surprising that an infected dog becomes apathetic, lethargic and refuses food. Often, due to intoxication of the body, body temperature rises. If the pet does not refuse food, diarrhea may develop, although this symptom is quite rare.

Bodfly larvae on the pet’s body can also manifest themselves as a lack of coordination of the dog’s movements, coughing and shortness of breath, and if tubercles with a hole also form on the body, it is worth showing the animal to a veterinarian.

Important! Aspirin should not be used to reduce a dog's body temperature. This is poison for her, so it would be much wiser to choose analgin or “no-shpu” to relieve the symptom.

How to become infected with helminths: raw water, exotic cuisine and unwashed hands

You should not think that parasites live only in people who do not take care of themselves and lead an asocial lifestyle. Anyone can become infected, because a person is not immune from communicating with sick people and “parasite carriers”. Uninvited “guests” enter the body through food, water from pets, through dirty hands and insect bites.

Infection is encouraged by people buying homemade lard, raw meat, dried and smoked fish at unauthorized markets. You can become infected in a canteen or cafe if sanitary conditions are not met there. Undercooked meat and fish dishes are dangerous.

The parasites have also benefited from the passion for Japanese cuisine, where thermally unprocessed fish is added to dishes. Not all sushi bar chefs follow sanitation rules. As a result, a person becomes infected with helminths.

How to suspect a parasite infection

In the presence of external parasites (lice, scabies mites, demodex), skin itching occurs, worsening at night. Areas of irritation, redness, blisters, and pustules appear on the skin. Sometimes allergies occur and the temperature may rise.

When infected with helminths, the clinical picture varies, but in all cases there are digestive problems (diarrhea or constipation), anemia and weakness. People lose weight even with an increased appetite, some people’s taste preferences change - a person craves fatty, salty, etc. This is how the body tries to replenish the loss of vitamins and microelements caused by worm parasitism.

Helminth infections are accompanied by bloating, pain in various parts of the abdomen, itching around the anus. Sometimes, during bowel movements, the worms fall out of the anus or come out with feces. With severe infestation, vomiting occurs with the discharge of helminths. In a sick person, the liver and spleen become enlarged and pain occurs in the right or left hypochondrium.

With helminthiases, neurological manifestations caused by poisoning by waste products of parasitic creatures are common: insomnia, irritability, constant fatigue, bruxism (grinding teeth in sleep).

Parasites weaken the body, undermine the immune system, and cause allergies. Manifestations of bronchial asthma are often associated with the presence of helminths (pinworms, whipworms, echinococci).

How to identify dangerous parasites

It is impossible to identify and treat dangerous residents on your own, especially since they can exist in a complex and by eliminating some, you will only make room for others. Every clinic has a parasitologist; he is the one who treats infestations. If there is no such specialist, you can make an appointment with a therapist.

The doctor will prescribe a number of tests:

• Blood for clinical analysis. With helminthiases, an acceleration of ESR, a decrease in hemoglobin and an increase in the number of eosinophils are observed.
• Biochemical blood test for ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase, thymol test, amylase. An increase in these indicators is typical for infection with nematodes.
• Analysis of bile, mucus, sputum, muscle tissue.

Worm infestations are often disguised as other diseases. People undergo operations during which they find a eaten away pancreas or liver. It is not always possible to cure a patient with an advanced form, so you should not hope for a miracle - you need to take the same test for “worm eggs” in a timely manner. To make a diagnosis, endoscopy of the intestines and stomach is prescribed.

Diseases caused by parasitic protozoa are difficult to detect. The infection proceeds latently and destroys the body until the patient exhibits serious organ changes.

Types of myiases and flies that cause diseases

Fly larvae in the human body can be found in the most unexpected places. Most often, myiasis occurs after gadflies lay their eggs. The development cycle of these flies involves development in the body of the host, which can be not only a large animal, but also a person.

On a note!

All videos and photos in which larvae are removed from under the skin refer to infestation by gadflies.

Myiases can be random, facultative and obligate. The type of myiasis largely depends on what flies eat in nature.

Treatment of helminthiasis

To cure a patient, he is relieved of parasites and their waste products. For treatment, anthelmintic drugs are used, selected taking into account the type of parasite and the patient’s condition. This should be done by a doctor, since all deworming tablets contain dangerous substances.

To expel large worms, the patient is prescribed a siphon enema. At the same time, make sure that the head of the helminth does not remain in the body, otherwise the parasite will grow again. To prevent re-infection, anthelmintic treatment is carried out in several courses.

After expelling the worms, drip infusions of solutions, restoratives and vitamins are prescribed. Restore the functions of organs affected by parasites.

Head lice can be eliminated using special sprays and mercury ointment. If pubic lice are detected, the hair in the groin area is shaved.

Sulfur ointment, benzyl benzonate and a number of other drugs are used to treat scabies. Demodicosis is treated with complex external agents, which include mercury, tar, zinc, and sulfur.

Larval therapy - what is it?

Research conducted by scientists has proven that the use of maggots of a certain type, worms in cleansing wound surfaces is a progressive treatment method. The time spent on cleaning is up to 5-6 days, but the use of traditional methods allows you to achieve a similar result only on the 90th day. Doctors recommend the widespread use of the technique, for example, in the treatment of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus.

Treatment with maggots is a fairly forgotten old remedy. It was used both in ancient times and during the Second World War, but the advent of antibiotics led to a decrease in the popularity of therapy. Today, the technique is in demand among adherents of alternative therapy in our country, as well as as an adjuvant in European clinics.

Prevention of parasitic infestations

In order not to “pick up” exo- and endoparasites, you need to:

• wash your hands, vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating;
• remove dirt under nails;
• do not use other people’s combs, shoes and household items;
• do not walk on the floor in public places with bare feet, and wear a cap when swimming in the pool;
• do not buy food at “spontaneous” markets and do not eat in dubious catering establishments;
• boil or fry meat or fish;
• monitor the health of pets by carrying out deworming on time;
• use insect repellent when traveling;
• Having arrived from an exotic country, undergo a full examination and take tests.

Parasites quickly infect people, so when they are detected, people living with the patient are checked and, if necessary, they are treated too.

At Best Clinic you can get tested for the presence of worms and get advice from a general practitioner. Call us!

Development cycle

The female flies up to the future “incubator” and literally injects the larvae into the affected area of ​​the skin.

Each “injection” contains at least 10-15 individuals. The larvae quickly burrow into the wound, actively feed and molt twice. After about five days (depending on the ambient temperature), they crawl out of their cozy nest, fall onto the soil, burrow into it, and pupate. After one to three weeks, the imago (that is, the adult stage) emerges.

Adult flies are most active at an ambient temperature of 20-27 degrees Celsius. If it gets hotter, they find shade and fall into a kind of torpor.