MYIASIS

infestation of the body with the larvae (maggots) of certain species of flies. Intestinal myiasis results from ingestion of food contaminated with eggs or larvae and may produce cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Within a short time, however, the organisms are destroyed by gastrointestinal juices and passed in the feces. Superficial myiasis occurs when flies, attracted to open or infected wounds or to odoriferous discharges from the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, or vagina, lay their eggs on these areas. The larvae hatch and feed on the involved tissues, sometimes causing extensive or even fatal damage. The larvae of some species penetrate the unbroken skin, especially of infants, producing boillike lesions or creeping eruptions. Treatment of superficial infestation involves removing the larvae by irrigation and by mechanical extraction. Because larvae feed on dead tissue and foreign matter in open wounds, they were sometimes deliberately introduced to supplement surgical removal of dead or diseased tissue and to prevent infection.