First report of Haematobia irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) as vector of Dermatobia hominis (L.jr.) (Diptera: Cuterebridae) in Minas Gerais, Brazil

First record of Psorophora ferox (Diptera: Culicidae) infested with eggs of Dermatobia hominis (Diptera: Cuterebridae), in Ucayali: Peru

INTRODUCTION

Dermatobia hominis belongs to the Cuterebridae family, Diptera order; These flies inhabit tropical regions where they are called "fly of death" since the larvae are capable of causing lesions in domestic animals, wild animals including humans, the adult females of D. hominis capture other dipteran to oviposit their eggs on them (phoresis), when hematophagous mosquitoes land on an animal and / or human in order to feed on their blood, the eggs hatch and the larvae immediately penetrate the skin where they will develop to later abandon the host, then in the soil and / or other moist substrate the pupal stage develops, finally new adult flies will emerge from the pupae.

OBJECTIVE

The primary goal of the present study was to determine as first record, the presence of Psorophora ferox infested with eggs of Dermatobia hominis, Peru.

METHODOLOGY

The present study was carried out in an area of the private reserve "El Vencedor", located within the city of Pucallpa, Ucayali Region-Perú. The area is characterized by being humid tropical, with an average temperature of 26ºC and humidity of 92%, while the annual precipitation is approximately 1570 mm3. The capture method was carried out with the help of a hand net type "butterfly" or also called Jama.

RESULTS

A total of 668 mosquitoes of different species were collected, the most abundant being Psorophora albigenu and Psorophora ferox, which represented 88.72% and the least abundant was Culex coronator and Uranotaenia apicalis with 0.15% of the total sample collected.

CONCLUSIONS

Within these specimens it was captured a mosquito of the species Ps. ferox with the presence of 8 eggs of D. hominis, of which 3 would have hatched, while in the remaining 5, the larvae would remain inside the eggs.

Dermatobia hominis: Small Migrants Hidden in Your Skin

Myiasis is a parasitic infestation of vertebrate animal tissues due to maggots of two-winged flies (Diptera) that feed on living or necrotic tissue. Dermatobia hominis occurs widely in tropical parts of Latin America; it is the most common cause of furuncular myiasis in this region. The continuous increase in international travel has increased the possibility of observing this pathology outside endemic countries, especially in travelers returning from the tropics. If clinicians are aware of the possibility of the disease and its treatment options, this dermatosis can be easily managed. However, diagnostic delay is very common because the disease is often misdiagnosed as a bacterial skin infection. Here, we report 2 cases of furuncular myiasis caused by D. hominis in travelers returning to Italy from Latin America. Surgical and noninvasive treatment approaches are also described.

Pyrosequencing-based analysis of the microbiome associated with the horn fly, Haematobia irritans

The horn fly, Haematobia irritans, is one of the most economically important pests of cattle. Insecticides have been a major element of horn fly management programs. Growing concerns with insecticide resistance, insecticide residues on farm products, and non-availability of new generation insecticides, are serious issues for the livestock industry. Alternative horn fly control methods offer the promise to decrease the use of insecticides and reduce the amount of insecticide residues on livestock products and give an impetus to the organic livestock farming segment. The horn fly, an obligatory blood feeder, requires the help of microflora to supply additional nutrients and metabolize the blood meal. Recent advancements in DNA sequencing methodologies enable researchers to examine the microflora diversity independent of culture methods. We used the bacterial 16S tag-encoded FLX-titanium amplicon pyrosequencing (bTEFAP) method to carry out the classification analysis of bacterial flora in adult female and male horn flies and horn fly eggs. The bTEFAP method identified 16S rDNA sequences in our samples which allowed the identification of various prokaryotic taxa associated with the life stage examined. This is the first comprehensive report of bacterial flora associated with the horn fly using a culture-independent method. Several rumen, environmental, symbiotic and pathogenic bacteria associated with the horn fly were identified and quantified. This is the first report of the presence of Wolbachia in horn flies of USA origin and is the first report of the presence of Rikenella in an obligatory blood feeding insect.

Insecticide resistance in the horn fly: alternative control strategies

The horn fly, Haematobia irritans (Linnaeus 1758) (Diptera: Muscidae) is one of the most widespread and economically important pests of cattle. Although insecticides have been used for fly control, success has been limited because of the development of insecticide resistance in all countries where the horn fly is found. This problem, along with public pressure for insecticide-free food and the prohibitive cost of developing new classes of compounds, has driven the investigation of alternative control methods that minimize or avoid the use of insecticides. This review provides details of the economic impact of horn flies, existing insecticides used for horn fly control and resistance mechanisms. Current research on new methods of horn fly control based on resistant cattle selection, semiochemicals, biological control and vaccines is also discussed.

The value of Doppler ultrasound in diagnosis in 25 cases of furunculoid myiasis

BACKGROUND

The larvae of the botfly Dermatobia hominis cause furunculoid myiasis in endemic areas. Lack of knowledge of this condition outside these areas leads to confusion in diagnosis and delays appropriate treatment.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the clinical findings of furunculoid myiasis encountered in Quintana Roo, in the south-east of Mexico.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed an observational study on 25 cases diagnosed over a period of 4 years.

RESULTS

Diagnosis of furunculoid myiasis was made in 14 males and 11 females with an average age of 24.5 years. Most of our patients were students, farmers, or housewives. The number of lesions varied from one to four. In 20% of cases, more than one parasite was present in each lesion. The scalp was the most commonly affected region (40%), followed by the trunk and the extremities. Doppler ultrasound study (DUSG) of the furuncle-like lesions confirmed the clinical diagnosis in all cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Furunculoid myiasis is frequent in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. We found no association with occupation, gender, social background or age. DUSG can be used to evaluate the number of parasites per furunculoid lesion avoiding misdiagnoses and treatment delays.

Cutaneous myiasis of the breast: mammographic and us features-report of five cases

Five patients with breast myiasis underwent mammography, and three also underwent ultrasonography (US). Mammography revealed indistinct masses in all patients, with associated pairs of microcalcifications in three. US showed each larva as a fusiform hyperechoic mass surrounded by a hypoechoic halo, which included larval movement in one patient. These imaging features of breast myiasis facilitate correct diagnosis.