| Dermatobia hominis | |
|---|---|
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| Adult female human botfly | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Oestridae |
| Subfamily: | Cuterebrinae |
| Genus: | Dermatobia |
| Species: | D. hominis |
| Binomial name | |
| Dermatobia hominis (Linnaeus Jr. inPallas, 1781) | |
| Synonyms | |
Oestrus hominis (Linnaeus Jr. inPallas, 1781) | |
Thehuman botfly,Dermatobia hominis (Greekδέρμα, skin +βίος, life, andLatinhominis, of a human), is a species ofbotfly whose larvaeparasitise humans (in addition to a wide range of other animals, including other primates[1]). It is also known as thetorsalo orAmerican warble fly,[1] though thewarble fly is in the genusHypoderma and notDermatobia, and is a parasite oncattle and deer instead of humans.
Dermatobia fly eggs have been shown to bevectored by over 40 species ofmosquitoes andmuscoid flies, as well as one species oftick[2] (However, the source for this is somewhat old, 2007, and slightly more recent literature seems to indicate they don't need a particular species of ticks, or at least makes no mention of them only being able to use one as a vector[3]). The female captures the mosquito and attaches its eggs to its body, then releases it. Either the eggs hatch while the mosquito is feeding and the larvae use the mosquito bite area as the entry point, or the eggs simply drop off the muscoid fly when it lands on the skin. The larvae develop inside thesubcutaneous layers, and after about eight weeks, they drop out to pupate for at least a week, typically in the soil. The adults are large flies lacking mouthparts (as is true of otheroestrid flies).
This species is native to theAmericas from southeasternMexico (beginning in centralVeracruz) to northernArgentina, andUruguay,[1] though it is not abundant enough (nor harmful enough) to ever attain true pest status. Normally the greatest risk they pose to humans is increasing the chances of infection. Since the fly larvae can survive the entire eight-week development only if the wound doesnot become infected, patients rarely experience infections unless they kill the larva without removing it completely.
The easiest and most effective way to remove botfly larvae is to applypetroleum jelly over the location, which prevents air from reaching the larva, suffocating it. It can then be removed with tweezers safely after a day. White glue mixed withpyrethrin or other safe insecticides and applied to the spot of swelling on the scalp will kill the larvae within hours, as they must keep an air hole open, so will chew through the dried glue to do this, consuming the insecticide in the process.[citation needed]
Venom extractor syringes can remove larvae with ease at any stage of growth.[4] A larva has also been successfully removed by first applying several coats ofnail polish to the area of the larva's entrance, weakening it by partialasphyxiation.[5] Covering the location withadhesive tape would also result in partial asphyxiation and weakening of the larva, but is not recommended because the larva'sbreathing tube is fragile and would be broken during the removal of the tape, leaving most of the larva behind.[5]
Oral use ofivermectin, an antiparasiticavermectin medicine, has proven to be an effective and noninvasive treatment that leads to the spontaneous emigration of the larva.[6] This is especially important for cases where the larva is located in inaccessible places such as inside the innercanthus of the eye.
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University Of Florida, Human Botfly - Dermatobia Hominis
Authority control databases: National |
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