Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Myiasis and Tungiasis

  • Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in Returning Travelers from the Tropics (C Franco-Paredes, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Tropical Medicine Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of the Review

In this review, we summarized information regarding two neglected parasitic infestations by arthropods belonging to order Diptera and the order Siphonaptera, causing myiasis and tungiasis, respectively.

Recent Findings

Although there has been an increase in the number of publications on myiasis and tungiasis, over the last decades, these are still neglected conditions among the tropical disease, with not more 200 papers per year combined, in databases such as PubMed. Besides that, these are problems that disproportionally affect the more vulnerable populations in the world.

Summary

Both myiasis and tungiasis are ectoparasitic pathologies affecting mainly the skin, but, specially the first, also mucous membranes and organs of humans and animals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

  1. Nanda S, Carr P, Noland M. Image Gallery: A case of botfly myiasis due to Dermatobia hominis in the U.S.A. with no history of international travel. Br J Dermatol. 2020;182(6): e184.

  2. Francesconia F, Lupi O. Myiasis. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2012;25(1):79–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Bernhardt V, Finkelmeier F, Verhoff MA, Amendt J. Myiasis in humans—a global case report evaluation and literature analysis. Parasitol Res. 2019;118(2):389–97.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Calvopina M, Ortiz-Prado E, Castañedaid B, Cueva I, Rodriguez-Hidalgo R, Cooperid PJ. Human myiasis in Ecuador. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020;14(2):1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Norgan AP, Pritt BS. Parasitic infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissues. Adv Anat Pathol. 2018;25(2):106–23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Kollipara R, Peranteau AJ, Nawas ZY, Tong Y, Woc-Colburn L, Yan AC, et al. Emerging infectious diseases with cutaneous manifestations fungal, helminthic, protozoan and ectoparasitic infections. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2016;75(1):19–30. Available from:. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2016.04.032.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Lachish T, Marhoom E, Mumcuoglu KY, Tandlich M, Schwartz E. Myiasis in travelers. J Travel Med. 2015;22(4):232–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Korzeniewski K, Juszczak D, Jerzemowski J. Skin lesions in returning travellers. Int Marit Health. 2015;66(3):173–80.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Di Tullio F, Mandel VD, Miglietta R, Pellacani G. Cutaneous myiasis in a traveler returning from Argentina. Dermatol Ther. 2019;32(5):1–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Hall MJR, Wall RL, Stevens JR. Traumatic myiasis: a neglected disease in a changing world. Annu Rev Entomol. 2016;61(1):159–76.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. McGarry JW. Tropical myiases: neglected and well travelled. Lancet Infect Dis. 2014;14(8):672–4. Available from:. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(14)70830-8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Sweileh WM. Global output of research on epidermal parasitic skin diseases from 1967 to 2017. Infect Dis Poverty. 2018;7(1):1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Robbins K, Khachemoune A. Cutaneous myiasis: a review of the common types of myiasis. Int J Dermatol. 2010;49(10):1092–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Otranto D. The immunology of myiasis: parasite survival and host defense strategies. Trends Parasitol. 2001;17(4):176–82.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Moiré N, Bigot Y, Periquet G, Boulard C. Sequencing and gene expression of hypodermins A, B, C in larval stages of Hypoderma lineatum. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 1994 Aug;66(2):233–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Farkas R, Hornok S, Gyurkovszky M. Preliminary studies on humoral immune response of sheep to wohlfahrtiosis. Vet Parasitol. 1998;75(2–3):279–84.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Oliveira-Sequeira TCG, Sequeira JL, Schmitt FL, De Lello E. Histological and immunological reaction of cattle skin to first-instar larvae of Dermatobia hominis. Med Vet Entomol. 1996;10(4):323–30.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Solomon M, Lachish T, Schwartz E. Cutaneous Myiasis [Internet]. Current Infectious Disease Reports. Current Medicine Group LLC 2016;18(1):1–7. Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11908-016-0537-6.

  19. Giacobbe DR, Riccardi N, Vena A, Bassetti M. Mould Infections of Traumatic Wounds: A Brief Narrative Review. Infect Dis Ther. 2020;9(1):1–15.

  20. Singh A, Kaur J. Occurrence of human urogenital myiasis due to neglected personal hygiene: a review. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2019;113(1):4–10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Diociaiuti A, Oranges T, Giancristoforo S, Dini V, El Hachem M. A novel dermoscopic pattern observed in furuncular myiasis. Australas J Dermatol. 2019;60(1):e46–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Cunha PR, Flora TB, Kroumpouzos G. Travelers’ tropical skin diseases: challenges and interventions. Dermatol Ther. 2019;32(4):1–9 Article reviews the main tropical diseases of travelers, with an emphasis on diagnosis, management, and prevention.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Shukla D, Kamath AT, Kudva A, Pai D, Patel N. Our Experience in the Management of Traumatic Wound Myiasis: Report of 3 Cases and Review of the Literature. Case Reports in Dentistry. 2016;2016(7030925):4. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/7030925.

  24. Uysal S, Ozturk AM, Tasbakan M, Simsir IY, Unver A, Turgay N, et al. Human myiasis in patients with diabetic foot: 18 cases. Ann Saudi Med. 2018;38(3):208–13.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  25. Jain A. Myiasis in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma-a systematic review and protocol for management. Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2019;23(3):265–269. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10006-019-00757-2.

  26. Shi C, Xu R, Tang X, Hui Z. Sulfur ointment treatment of cutaneousmyiasis caused by the tumbu fly. JAMA Dermatol. 2018;154(6):737–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Patel BC, Ostwal S, Sanghavi PR, Joshi G, Singh R. Management of malignant wound myiasis with ivermectin, albendazole, and clindamycin (triple therapy) in advanced head-and-neck cancer patients: a prospective observational study. Indian J Palliat Care. 2018;24(4):459–64.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Biradar S, Wankhede P, Munde A, Shaikh S. Extensive myiasis infestation associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma: report of two cases. Dent Res J (Isfahan). 2015;12(1):100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Zia MK, Asad SI, Wase HA, Salam O, Hassan SZ, Musab M, et al. Case report: myiasis as a rare complication of invasive ductal carcinoma [version 1; peer review: 1 approved with reservations]. F1000Research. 2019;8:774.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. •• Ashour DS. Ivermectin: from theory to clinical application. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2019;54(2):134–42. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2019.05.003Article reviews the highlights the most common human uses of ivermectin and new and promising properties.

  31. Osorio J, Moncada L, Molano A, Valderrama S, Gualtero S, Franco-Paredes C. Role of ivermectin in the treatment of severe orbital myiasis due to Cochliomyia hominivorax. Clin Infect Dis. 2006;43(6):e57–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Arria M, Rodríguez Morales AJ, Medina M, Blanco JJ. Tungiasis en el estado Táchira: ¿Una Ectoparasitosis Reemergente? Academia. 2004;3(6):02–3.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Arria M, Rodriguez-Morales AJ, Franco-Paredes C. Ecoepidemiología de las Enfermedades Tropicales en Países de la Cuenca Amazónica. Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica. 2005;22(3):236–40.

    Google Scholar 

  34. •• Cardoso AEC, Cardoso AEO, Talhari C, Santos M. Update on parasitic dermatoses. An Bras Dermatol. 2020;95(1):1–14 Article reviews the main clinical and therapeutic aspects of scabies, pediculosis, myiasis, tungiasis, larva migrans, Lyme disease, and onchocerciasis.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Coates SJ, Thomas C, Chosidow O, Engelman D, Chang AY. Ectoparasites: pediculosis and tungiasis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020;82(3):551–69.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Feldmeier H, Heukelbach J, Ugbomoiko US, Sentongo E, Mbabazi P, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, et al. Tungiasis--a neglected disease with many challenges for global public health. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2014;8(10):e3133.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  37. Miller H, Ocampo J, Ayala A, Trujillo J, Feldmeier H. Very severe tungiasis in Amerindians in the Amazon lowland of Colombia: a case series. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2019;13(2):e0007068.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  38. Sánchez-Carmona D, Montoya C, Cardona-Ospina JA, Ramirez V, Quintero L, Bedoya-Arias JE, et al. Estimating the neglected incidence of tungiasis in Colombia, 2009-2013. Biomédica. 2015;35(Supl.4):173.

    Google Scholar 

  39. CDC. DPDx. Tungiasis. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/dpdx/613tungiasis/index.html. Accessed 27 June 2020.

  40. Maco V, Maco VP, Tantalean ME, Gotuzzo E. Histopathological features of tungiasis in Peru. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2013;88(6):1212–6.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  41. Mumcuoglu K. Other ectoparasites: leeches, myiasis and sand fleas. In: Farrar J, Junghanss T, Lalloo D, Hotez P, Kang G, White NJ (Eds) Manson’s tropical infectious diseases. 23rd ed: Elsevier; 2014;843–47.

  42. Diaz JH. Myiasis and tungiasis. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, editors. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and practice of infectious diseases. 8th ed: Elsevier; 2015;3255–59.

  43. Wardhaugh AD, Norris JF. A case of imported tungiasis in Scotland initially mimicking verrucae vulgaris. Scott Med J. 1994;39(5):146–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Johanna Osorio-Pinzon.

Ethics declarations

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in Returning Travelers from the Tropics

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Osorio-Pinzon, J., Palencia, A., Cruz-Calderon, S. et al. Myiasis and Tungiasis. Curr Trop Med Rep 8, 112–120 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40475-021-00233-6

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40475-021-00233-6

Keywords

Navigation