GC: n

S: CDC – http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/myiasis/ (last access: 22 August 2014); http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3255963/ (last access: 18 March 2016).

N: 1. 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.
2. Myiasis is the infection of a fly larva (maggot) in human tissue. This occurs in tropical and subtropical areas. Myiasis is rarely acquired in the United States; people typically get the infection when they travel to tropical areas in Africa and South America. People traveling with untreated and open wounds are more at risk for getting myiasis. Fly larvae need to be surgically removed by a medical professional.
3. The presence of the maggots of flies in the living bodies of man or animals.
4. The myiasis-producing flies are now usually divided into three groups: specific, semi-specific, and accidental.
5. Cultural Interrelation: There is a depiction of the ancient practice of maggot therapy in the 2000 film Gladiator. In this film directed by Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe’s character, Maximus, a Roman general, suffers a deep laceration to his shoulder from a sword during a charge by a Praetorian guard on horseback while trying to escape his arrest. After being found and captured by slave traders, one of Maximus’ fellow slaves, Juba, a Numidian hunter played by Djimon Hounsou, treats Maximus’ infected shoulder wound by placing and leaving maggots on his open wound. Upon awakening and noticing the maggots on his gaping shoulder wound, Maximus tries to remove the maggots but Juba admonishes him to leave them there as they will “clean” his wound. Maximus, too weakened to protest, complies. Several days later, the wound is depicted as clean and healing and Juba proclaims his wound better.
While the depiction of maggot therapy in the film Gladiator differs greatly from modern maggot therapy medical practice in not employing sterile maggots, special wound dressings, and being placed by a licensed medical practitioner, the cost-effective, safe and efficacious results of applying maggots to treat a severe wound in such a primitive setting are all hallmarks of modern maggot therapy.

S: 1. EncBrit – http://global.britannica.com/science/myiasis (last access: 28 March 2015). 2. CDC – http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/myiasis/ (last access: 22 August 2014). 3 & 4. TERMIUM PLUS (last access: 28 March 2015). 5. http://www.reference.com/browse/maggot (last access: 28 March 2015).

SYN: fly strike, fly-strike.

S: TERMIUM PLUS (last access: 28 March 2015)

CR: arthropod, infestation, parasite, parasitosis