Project description:Hypoderma tarandi causes myiasis in reindeer and caribou (Rangifer tarandus spp.) in most northern hemisphere regions where these animals live. We report a series of 39 human myiasis cases caused by H. tarandi in Norway from 2011 to 2016. Thirty-two were residents of Finnmark, the northernmost county of Norway, one a visitor to Finnmark, and six lived in other counties of Norway where reindeer live. Clinical manifestations involved migratory dermal swellings of the face and head, enlargement of regional lymph nodes, and periorbital oedema, with or without eosinophilia. Most cases of human myiasis are seen in tropical and subtropical countries, and in tourists returning from such areas. Our findings demonstrate that myiasis caused by H. tarandi is more common than previously thought. Healthcare professionals in regions where there is a likelihood of human infestation with H. tarandi (regions populated by reindeer), or treating returning travellers, should be aware of the condition. All clinicians are advised to obtain a detailed travel history when assessing patients with migratory dermal swellings. On clinical suspicion, ivermectin should be given to prevent larval invasion of the eye (ophthalmomyiasis). Since H. tarandi oviposits on hair, we suggest wearing a hat as a prevention measure.
Project description:We review epidemiological and clinical data on human myiasis from Ecuador, based on data from the Ministry of Public Health (MPH) and a review of the available literature for clinical cases. The larvae of four flies, Dermatobia hominis, Cochliomyia hominivorax, Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis, and Lucilia eximia, were identified as the causative agents in 39 reported clinical cases. The obligate D. hominis, causing furuncular lesions, caused 17 (43.5%) cases distributed along the tropical Pacific coast and the Amazon regions. The facultative C. hominivorax was identified in 15 (38%) clinical cases, infesting wound and cavitary lesions including orbital, nasal, aural and vaginal, and occurred in both subtropical and Andean regions. C. hominivorax was also identified in a nosocomial hospital-acquired wound. Single infestations were reported for S. haemorrhoidalis and L. eximia. Of the 39 clinical cases, 8 (21%) occurred in tourists. Ivermectin, when it became available, was used to treat furuncular, wound, and cavitary lesions successfully. MPH data for 2013-2015 registered 2,187 cases of which 54% were reported in men; 46% occurred in the tropical Pacific coast, 30% in the temperate Andes, 24% in the tropical Amazon, and 0.2% in the Galapagos Islands. The highest annual incidence was reported in the Amazon (23 cases/100,000 population), followed by Coast (5.1/100,000) and Andes (4.7/100,000). Human myiasis is a neglected and understudied ectoparasitic infestation, being endemic in both temperate and tropical regions of Ecuador. Improved education and awareness among populations living in, visitors to, and health personnel working in high-risk regions, is required for improved epidemiological surveillance, prevention, and correct diagnosis and treatment.
Project description:BackgroundCutaneous myiasis of the breast due to infestation by the larva of Cordylobia anthropophaga is rare. To the best of our knowledge, only one case has been reported in the English literature. This rarity calls for an awareness of its possibility as a cause of furuncular breast lesions, especially in areas where the C. anthropophaga (Tumbu fly) is endemic or in patients returning from such areas. As it can be easily confused with other furuncular breast lesions (like tuberculosis, mycosis, actinomycosis, furunculosis, chronic breast abscess and fungating malignancies), this awareness is important to avoid misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosis. We present a case of furuncular breast myiasis due to the larvae of C. anthropophaga earlier misdiagnosed as mastitis in a patient living in tropical Africa (Nigeria) where the Tumbu fly is endemic.Case presentationWe report a 70 year old woman who presented with a week history of itchy multiple discharging sinuses of the right breast. The sinuses contained wriggling larvae of C. anthropophaga. Fourteen larvae were extracted from the breast and the sinuses healed quite well after the extraction.ConclusionsCutaneous myiasis of the breast is rare, hence, an awareness of its clinical features is necessary when a patient presents with furuncular skin lesions especially in endemic areas or people returning from such areas. Diagnosis is mainly clinical and lesions heal well after the extraction of the larvae. Preventive measures such as ironing after drying of dresses and a good personal hygiene are crucial in controlling C. anthropophaga infestation.
Project description:BACKGROUND:Myiasis due to Old World screw-worm fly, Chrysomya bezziana, is an important obligate zoonotic disease in the OIE-list of diseases and is found throughout much of Africa, the Indian subcontinent, southeast and east Asia. C. bezziana myiasis causes not only morbidity and death to animals and humans, but also economic losses in the livestock industries. Because of the aggressive and destructive nature of this disease in hosts, we initiated this study to provide a comprehensive understanding of human myiasis caused by C. bezziana. METHODS:We searched the databases in English (PubMed, Embase and African Index Medicus) and Chinese (CNKI, Wanfang, and Duxiu), and international government online reports to 6th February, 2019, to identify studies concerning C. bezziana. Another ten human cases in China and Papua New Guinea that our team had recorded were also included. RESULTS:We retrieved 1,048 reports from which 202 studies were ultimately eligible for inclusion in the present descriptive analyses. Since the first human case due to C. bezziana was reported in 1909, we have summarized 291 cases and found that these cases often occurred in patients with poor hygiene, low socio-economic conditions, old age, and underlying diseases including infections, age-related diseases, and noninfectious chronic diseases. But C. bezziana myiasis appears largely neglected as a serious medical or veterinary condition, with human and animal cases only reported in 16 and 24 countries respectively, despite this fly species being recorded in 44 countries worldwide. CONCLUSION:Our findings indicate that cryptic myiasis cases due to the obligate parasite, C. bezziana, are under-recognized. Through this study on C. bezziana etiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment, epidemiology, prevention and control, we call for more vigilance and awareness of the disease from governments, health authorities, clinicians, veterinary workers, nursing homes, and also the general public.
Project description:Wohlfahrtiimonas species bacteria were isolated from the bloodstream of a patient with septicemia and wound myiasis. Environmental investigations identified a Wohlfahrtiimonas sp. among insects in the Americas and in a previously undescribed vector, the green bottle fly (Lucilia sericata). The isolates possibly represent a new species within the genus Wohlfahrtiimonas.
Project description:Myiases-causing flies are widely observed in tropical countries, whereas in Italy, a temperate country, their epidemiology and clinical presentation are poorly known. We report three cases of human conjunctival myiasis recently observed at our hospital, and the results of a review of the literature on human myiasis in Italy. In August 2012, a case of Oestrus ovis conjunctival myiasis acquired in the city centre of Florence, Italy was diagnosed at our hospital. In the early fall of 2013, two additional cases, acquired in the neighbouring areas, occurred. The review of literature showed that, up to the middle of 1990s, myiasis in Italy was mainly an occupational disease of shepherds, caused by O. ovis. Recently, cases of travel acquired furuncular myiasis emerged, together with "opportunistic" autochthonous cases of wound myiasis in patients with underlying health conditions. Considering the causative agents of human of myiasis in Italy, among the 703 autochthonous cases reported, 98.1% were caused by O. ovis, while among the 42 imported cases described, 59.5% were due to Cordylobia spp. and 40.5% to Dermatobia hominis. Our findings suggest that O. ovis conjunctival myiasis may still be observed in urban setting in Italy. Health care providers should know and implement the basic rules of entomoprophylaxis for myiasis in the facilities where they are working and use these indications to educate patients and care givers in both pretravel care and geriatric outpatient settings.
Project description:We report an unknown taxon of bot fly (Diptera: Oestridae: Oestrinae) in red river hogs (Potamochoerus porcus Linnaeus, 1758) in Cross River State, Nigeria. From direct observation and interviews with local hunters, we document that, remarkably, the parasite typically occurs within the intracranial supra-meningeal space - i.e., between the inner wall of the skull and the brain - but without causing visible inflammation or clinical signs. The parasite is most similar (up to 87.9%) to Rhinoestrus usbekistanicus based on cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 DNA sequencing but is sufficiently divergent phylogenetically to represent a new or previously un-sequenced taxon. Morphologically, the parasite shares some, but not all, features with R. nivarleti. Local cultural belief systems attribute aspects of red river hog behavior (e.g. intelligence, elusiveness) to the parasite, suggesting a prolonged presence in the red river hog population. The parasite's unusual anatomic location may be aberrant, or it may be a protective adaptation to life in red river hogs, which forage vigorously with their snouts.
Project description:Tick-borne diseases are emerging and re-emerging threats causing public health concerns in Europe and North America. Prevention and control requires understanding of human exposure and behaviour. The aim was to measure exposure to tick bites across Scandinavia, its spatial distribution and the associated risk factors. Methods We sent a web-based survey to a randomly chosen population and analysed answers by Principal Component Analysis and Chi-Square. Individual responses were aggregated at the municipality level to assess the spatial distribution of bites. Results Nearly 60% of adults reported bites at low levels (1-5 bites); however, the majority were not in their resident municipality. We found two spatial profiles: In their home municipalities, people were most often bitten in less, but not the least, urbanized areas. When visiting other municipalities, people were most frequently bitten in peri-urban areas. Running/walking in the forest, gardening, and paddling/rowing were activities most strongly associated with bites. Conclusion Tick bites affect the entire Scandinavian population, with a higher risk in Sweden compared to Denmark and Norway. The frequency of observation of ticks in the environment or on pets might be used as a proxy for the actual risk of exposure to tick bites. Our results indicates that urban-dwelling outdoor enthusiasts and inhabitants of rural areas must be equally targeted for prevention campaigns.
Project description:Catabacter hongkongensis was isolated and cultured from human blood for the first time in Scandinavia. The patient, an 83-year-old man from Dalarna, Sweden, recovered without antibiotic treatment, although a high mortality rate associated with C. hongkongensis infection had been reported from China, Canada and France. The genome of the strain ABBA15k was sequenced, assembled and analysed. In contrast to the type strain of the species HKU16T, no antibiotic resistance was observed in Scandinavian strain ABBA15k. The strain was deposited as CCUG 68271, and the draft genome sequence is available from the DNA Data Bank of Japan (DDBJ), the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), and GenBank under the accession number LLYX00000000.
Project description:The prion protein (PrP) sequence of European moose, reindeer, roe deer and fallow deer in Scandinavia has high homology to the PrP sequence of North American cervids. Variants in the European moose PrP sequence were found at amino acid position 109 as K or Q. The 109Q variant is unique in the PrP sequence of vertebrates. During the 1980s a wasting syndrome in Swedish moose, Moose Wasting Syndrome (MWS), was described. SNP analysis demonstrated a difference in the observed genotype proportions of the heterozygous Q/K and homozygous Q/Q variants in the MWS animals compared with the healthy animals. In MWS moose the allele frequencies for 109K and 109Q were 0.73 and 0.27, respectively, and for healthy animals 0.69 and 0.31. Both alleles were seen as heterozygotes and homozygotes. In reindeer, PrP sequence variation was demonstrated at codon 176 as D or N and codon 225 as S or Y. The PrP sequences in roe deer and fallow deer were identical with published GenBank sequences.