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The tropical dry forest is one of the world's most threatened ecosystems and is the habitat of the Robinson's Mouse Opossum (Marmosa robinsoni), a small marsupial within the Didelphidae family. This study aimed to describe cases of cuterebriases in free-ranging M. robinsoni by examining individuals caught in live animal traps. Sherman traps were deployed in four different sites over three different periods in five days. All animals passed through biometry, weighing, sampling parasites, and sampling feces. Only animals captured in the study site located close to the city were anesthetized and examined. The evaluation included blood samples and a clinical examination. Animals received anesthesia under physical restraint by intramuscular injections of ketamine and xylazine. For anesthetic reversion, the protocol was Yohimbine administered before release. In total, 8% (5/60) of all captured animals had fly larvae extracted from wounds. The molecular Barcode of the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I gene showed no match with any recognized species of Cuterebra. The animals weighed from 35 to 80 g and had lesions in the scapular region with parasites under their skin in sizes ranging from 1.3 to 2.2 cm. The animals with parasites were in good physical condition without evidence of disturbances in health conditions. This is compatible with literature, reporting little effect on population dynamics of other host species infected with Cuterebra larvae. The study included 24 animals captured in three areas far from any city, which showed no evidence of cuterebrid infection, suggesting that proximity to the city could increase exposure to cuterebriasis. There are reports of cuterebrids in M. robinsoni in Brazil; however, this is the first report of cuterebriasis in M. robinsoni in Colombia.

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Herein we present a nasopharyngeal myiasis case by Cephenemyia stimulator in a roe deer hunted in Trás-os-Montes (NE Portugal). Preliminary inspection showed one larva sorting through the nostrils and the examination of the nasopharyngeal cavity showed more than 15 larvae in the glottis and retropharyngeal recesses. Four larvae were collected and stored into 70% ethanol for morphological and molecular identification. Three of the larvae were identified as third instars and the other one as a prepupa of Cephenemyia stimulator, being the first confirmation of this species in roe deer from Portugal. C. stimulator is currently widely distributed in roe deer from central and northern Spain so, the transboundary natural dispersal of these cervids would explain the introduction of this myiasis in Portugal. Further studies are needed to monitor the spreading of this infection in the westernmost populations of European roe deer.

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The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of PCR and ELISA as diagnostic method in young sheep naturally infested by Oestrus ovis larvae. The experiment was carried out from December 2020 to April 2021 with 39 lambs divided into two groups: infested (n = 26) and control treated group (n = 13). The infested group did not receive treatment against oestrosis, and the control group was treated with closantel (10 mg/kg orally) every 28 days in order to keep the animals as free as possible of O. ovis infestation. The clinical signs varied among animals regardless of the number of recovered larvae of each lamb, however, the thick mucus and mucopurulent nasal discharge scores were less frequent in lambs from treated group. There was no correlation between the nasal discharge score and the number of O. ovis recovered larvae (R² = 0.012, P = 0.165). Three control treated animals only presented first instar larvae (L1) (1 - 4 larvae/animal) which were smaller than L1 found in the lambs of the infested group. Ninety-two percent of the lambs from infested group (24/26) were parasitized by O. ovis with number ranging from 1 to 54 larvae per animal. A gradual increase in plasma IgG (anti-antigen of O. ovis larvae) levels of animals from infested group after the third week of the trial was observed, whereas the control lambs had low levels of IgG until the end of the experiment. The PCR had low sensitivity (26 %) and high specificity (100 %), and it presented poor agreement (k = 0.177) with the larvae detection after the lamb slaughter. The oestrosis clinical signs were not related to larvae infestation intensity and ELISA showed a greater advantage over the PCR technique in identifying animals that are carrying O. ovis.

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INTRODUCTION: A sheep bot fly, Oestrus ovis, is an obligate parasite that is found worldwide, especially widespread in the Mediterranean areas and Middle Eastern. Interestingly, in this report, a case with an L3 larva trapped in the human maxillary sinus with other stage larvae is presented. CASE SUMMARY: A 32-year-old female patient has no symptoms until the larva is expelled by sneezing. Endoscopic examination was normal on admission. Paranasal sinus computed tomography (CT) revealed left maxillary sinus soft tissue density. Uncinectomy and middle meatal antrostomy was performed to remove the infection and larvae. DISCUSSION: Human ophthalmic and nasopharyngeal myiasis have been documented but asymptomatic maxillary sinus myiasis is unusual and not reported. Due to changes in environmental factors, this atypical infection may occur with an unexpected presentation.

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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.

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The necropsy made to two adult individuals of red deer shot in Sierra Nevada National Park revealed infestation by second- and third-instar larvae of the oestrid Pharyngomyia picta (Meigen 1824). The animals were shot in Dehesa de las Hoyas, about 2000 m above sea level. This is the first record of this parasite in Sierra Nevada National Park. Furthermore, the occurrence of adult P. picta at this altitude could indicate significant changes of the climatic conditions, now matching better the environmental requirements of this bot fly. Its monitoring may, therefore, be of great help for detecting global change signs.

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The sheep nasal bots Oestrus ovis is parasite of the nasal cavities and sinuses of small ruminants causing oestrosis, one of the most frequent parasitic diseases in sheep and goats. The widely use of ivermectin and closantel by the sheep breeders in the treatment and prophylaxis of gastrointestinal nematodes resulted in widespread cases of anthelmintic resistance. However, there is no report about cases of O. ovis with drug-resistance. In this study, we evaluated the prophylactics and therapeutic effects of both antiparasitics in sheep with O. ovis natural infestation. The trial was carried out from early December 2019 to March 2020, with 30 crossbred males lambs allocated into three groups of 10 animals each: control (without treatment), treated with ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg subcutaneously) and treated with closantel (10 mg/kg orally). The animals were kept together grazing the same pasture area. The treatment groups were drenched in two occasions 70 days apart: on 5th December 2019 and on 13th February 2020. On 19th March 2020, all lambs were slaughtered. The lamb heads were removed and sectioned along their longitudinal and sagittal axis to search for larvae. Recovered O. ovis larvae were counted and identified according to their developmental stage (L1, L2, and L3). Seven of the control lambs were infested with O. ovis larvae ranging from six to 17 larvae (11.6 mean infestation intensity). All recovered larvae from control group were intact and active. Three animals treated with ivermectin had O. ovis larvae (1-3 larvae), however they were dead and in degeneration. The animals treated with closantel did not have any larvae. The clinical suggestive signs of oestrosis were scarce over the experimental period. The averages of daily weight gain were similar (p > 0.05) among groups. Closantel and ivermectin had high efficacy against oestrosis and O. ovis parasitism did not hinder the performance of lambs.

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Endemic and tropical human bot infestations are relatively uncommon or unreported in the United States. We report two cases in Connecticut: an unusual furuncular and respiratory myiasis by the rabbit bot Cuterebra buccata (Fab.) (Diptera: Oestridae) in a 74-yr-old male and a case of human bot fly, Dermatobia hominis (L.) (Diptera: Oestridae), myiasis in a 4-yr-old female with a tropical travel history with her family. Identification of C. buccata was based morphologically, in part, on spinal armature and further corroborated by DNA sequencing of the mitochondrial COI gene and comparison to the National Center for Biotechnology Information GenBank DNA sequence database. The resulting annotated sequence data were deposited into the National Center for Biotechnology Information GenBank. The unique medical aspects, and limitations and specifics on bot fly larval habits and identification are discussed.

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Penile carcinoma is rare neoplasm in western countries. In development countries can constitute more than 10-20% malignant disease in men. It is usually seen in men with poor standards of penile hygiene. The bot fly (Dermatobia hominis) is endemic in certainly regions such as Central and South America. Human infestation at nonendemic areas is difficult to diagnose and the penile localization is rare and makes the diagnosis more difficult. The authors describe a rare case of simultaneous association between penile carcinoma and myiasis treated both surgically.

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Cutaneous myiasis is a condition that involves an infestation of fly larvae into human tissue, most commonly caused by Dermatobia (D.) hominis or the bot fly. While this is a condition most commonly seen in tropical regions of the globe due to increased travel to endemic regions, physicians must increasingly be aware of this as a potential diagnosis. In addition, there is minimal literature on cutaneous myiasis in the pediatric patient and its potential associated symptoms. This case report thus highlights a toddler that presented to our facility with a raised, erythematous scalp lesion and associated preauricular and occipital lymphadenopathy. Of note, the patient had a recent travel history to Belize, an endemic area where she was likely infected. As there are multiple other differentials for not only scalp swellings in the pediatric population, in addition to regional adenopathy, a high index of suspicion was needed to make the diagnosis. Ultrasound was the imaging modality used to visualize the fly larva, and surgical excision was the mechanism of treatment. Thus, this case highlights a unique presentation of cutaneous myiasis in a toddler and aims to add to the growing body of literature on a condition likely to be encountered by physicians at a greater frequency.

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The stomach bot fly species in Asian elephants has long been known as Cobboldia elephantis. However, there is no genetic information available for this species to date. Here, we report that a third-instar fly larva was excreted from a captive Asian elephant four months after export from an elephant camp in Myanmar to a zoological garden in Japan. Morphological characteristics of the larva were coincident with published descriptions of C. elephantis. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene was amplified from the larva by PCR using primers modified from those designed for DNA barcoding of insects and amphibians. The COI gene of C. elephantis showed 76.6 % and 83.6 % identity at the nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively, to that of C. loxodontis, the stomach bot fly species in African elephants. Phylogenetic analysis of the COI genes of several stomach bot fly species revealed that the two Cobboldia species formed a clade separate from the stomach bot fly species found in rhinoceros and equids.

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A taxonomic review of Gasterophilus is presented, with nine valid species, 51 synonyms and misspellings for the genus and the species, updated diagnoses, worldwide distributions, and a summary of biological information for all species. Identification keys for adults and eggs are elaborated, based on a series of new diagnostic features and supported by high resolution photographs for adults. The genus is shown to have its highest species richness in China and South Africa, with seven species recorded, followed by Mongolia, Senegal, and Ukraine, with six species recorded.

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In the Mediterranean basin, one of the most important agents of myiasis is Oestrus ovis Linnaeus 1758 (Diptera, Oestridae). Herein, we report a rare case of nasal myiasis with a secondary infection complication in a patient from northern Italy who had been visiting Corsica. A healthy, 39-year-old Italian woman spent 2 weeks of vacation in Corsica in June 2018. During her stay, she suddenly felt a foreign body inside her nose, followed by cough, pain, burning at the pharyngeal level, cephalalgia, and nasal congestion with secretions from the nostrils. The clinical examination showed a hyperemic and irritated mucosa and endoscopic examination of the patient's nose and right maxillary sinus revealed three tiny mobile larvae, morphologically and molecular identified as L1 instar larvae of Oestrus ovis. The patient's infestation was probably imported from Corsica, as Mediterranean islands are ideal geographical areas for the development of O. ovis, and the timing of infestation match with the period of O. ovis larviposition. Although rhinomyiasis is rare, it should be considered in people returning from abroad presenting with an acute-onset and foreign body sensation in the nose.

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BACKGROUND: Oestrosis, caused by the larvae of Oestrus ovis, commonly known as sheep nose bot, is an obligatory cavitary myiasis of sheep and goats. Oestrus ovis is a widespread parasite, but little is known about the prevalence of oestrosis at the global and broad geographical levels. The present study aimed to explore the epidemiology of oestrosis at the global and regional level to estimate prevalences and their associated factors using a systematic approach. This is, to the author's knowledge, the first meta-analysis of oestrosis in sheep and goats. METHODS: Published articles were obtained from nine electronic databases (PubMed, CAB Abstracts, Web of Science, Scopus, UCB library, Medline, Biosis Citation Index, Indian journals and Google Scholar) reporting the prevalence of O. ovis in sheep and goats from 1970 to 2018. Pooled prevalences were estimated using a random effect meta-analysis model. RESULTS: Sixty-six studies were eligible, and data from 40,870 sheep and 18,216 goats were used for quantitative analysis. The random effect estimated prevalence of oestrosis at the global level in sheep was 51.15% (95% CI: 42.80-59.51%) and in goats was 42.19% (95% CI: 33.43-50.95%). The pooled prevalence estimates for Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas were 47.85% (95% CI: 36.04-59.66%), 44.48% (95% CI: 33.09-55.87%), 56.83% (95% CI: 48.92-64.74%) and 34.46% (95% CI: 19.90-49.01%), respectively. Heterogeneity (I2 > 80%) was detected in most pooled estimates. CONCLUSIONS: Oestrosis is highly prevalent in many geographical regions of the world, especially in Europe and Africa. Factors that contribute to the pooled prevalence estimate of oestrosis need to be emphasised in any survey to estimate the true prevalence of oestrosis. Furthermore, there is a need for immunisation or implementation of other preventive measures to reduce the burden of oestrosis in sheep and goats and to improve the health and welfare status.

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Tropical botfly infection is well described, though endemic botfly myiasis in humans is rare in temperate regions. Reported is a case of myiasis from Cuterebra botfly larvae in a man from northern New York with no tropical travel. The authors discuss the epidemiology, life-cycle, and diagnosis of non-tropical botfly infection.

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Ophthalmomyiasis externa is the infestation of external ocular structures most commonly by Oestrus ovis, sheep nasal bot fly, which have a pupal stage in soil. Farmers and shepherds are commonly affected but rarely in urban areas. This is the first case of Oestrus ovis ophthalmomyiasis externa in California since Catalina Island 1986. No livestock exposure was noted. Manure fertilizer sourced from grazing fields of natural hosts was used on a local urban sports field and is the suspected source.

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BACKGROUND: Because of the rise in community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA), presentations to the emergency department for the evaluation of cutaneous abscesses have risen dramatically over the past 2 decades. Soft tissue point of care ultrasound (POCUS) differentiates abscess from cellulitis, determines the size and shape, and characterizes the contents of the abscess. It has been shown to improve medical decision-making and therefore the emergency management of cutaneous abscesses over physical examination alone. CASE REPORT: We report a case of an unusual nonhealing abscess in an 18-year-old woman with a recent history of foreign travel where soft tissue POCUS identified motion within the abscess pocket. This changed the management of the case, leading to the diagnosis of bot fly myiasis. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Clinicians should entertain a broader differential for an apparent abscess and consider liberal use of soft tissue POCUS in these cases.

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Bot fly larvae (Philornis genus) are obligate subcutaneous blood-feeding parasites of Neotropical birds including psittacines. We analyze twelve years of data on scarlet macaw (Ara macao) nestlings in natural and artificial nests in the lowland forests of southeastern Peru and report prevalence and intensity of Philornis parasitism. Bot fly prevalence was 28.9% while mean intensity was 5.0 larvae per infected chick. Prevalence in natural nests (11%, N=90 nestlings) was lower than in wooden nest-boxes (39%, N=57) and PVC boxes (39%, N=109). We describe a new technique of removing Philornis larvae using a reverse syringe design snake bite extractor. We compare this new technique to two other methods for removing bots from macaw chicks and find the new method the most suitable.

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The prevalence of Cuterebra simulans bot fly parasitism on marsupial Gracilinanus microtarsus was compared between sexes and seasons of the year. No significant difference was observed between females and males but prevalence was higher in warm-wet season than cool-dry season. This pattern agree with observations of others studies with oestrids flies in southern Neotropical areas, suggesting the occurrence of latitudinal change in the peak of bot flies reproductive activity related to seasons of the year along these systems. This is the first record of C. simulans larvae parasitism on G. microtarsus and its occurrence in southern areas of the Neotropical region.

A prevalência de parasitismo das larvas da mosca Cuterebra simulans no marsupial Gracilinanus microtarsus foi comparada entre os sexos e estações do ano. Machos e fêmeas não apresentaram diferenças significativas, mas a prevalência de parasitismo foi mais elevada na estação quenteúmida que na estação fria-seca. Este padrão está de acordo com as observações de outros estudos com moscas da família Oestridae realizados nas áreas ao sul da região Neotropical, sugerindo a ocorrência de mudanças latitudinais nos picos de atividades reprodutivas destas moscas em relação às estações do ano ao longo destes sistemas. Este também é o primeiro registro da ocorrência de C. simulans em áreas mais ao sul da região Neotropical e do parasitismo de suas larvas em G. microtarsus.

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