Gadfly. Gadflies - human skin gadfly (lat

The most common cause of the spread of the disease is the consumption of low-quality meat. As soon as a market trader turns away, a tidbit is instantly covered with a hungry flock of flies, leaving their larvae on food. Then these larvae migrate to the main dish (especially if the meat is cooked for an insufficient amount of time or at insufficient temperature).

The main danger of such a disease is the ability of arthropods (flies belong to this class of insects) to penetrate the skin almost asymptomatically and lay eggs in any part of the body. Often, doctors are faced with the need to eliminate insect larvae from the eyes, ears, wounds or upper layers epidermis.

Depending on where exactly the main part of insect larvae is localized, the disease in humans is usually classified into several types.

Depending on the type of insect and the method of penetration into the human body, the disease is classified into:

Most often, larvae of arthropod insects enter the human body by accident. Flies can lay their larvae on household appliances, gastronomic products, and clothing. So the ingestion of insect eggs occurs unconsciously. There are times when the larvae can crawl under the skin from clothing items through an open wound.

Depending on the affected organs and tissues, the disease in humans (see photo) is classified into:

Depending on how deeply the fly larvae penetrate the skin, this type of myiasis is divided into:

• epidermal;
• subcutaneous with a predominance of larvae in the connective tissue;
• directly subcutaneous.

More details on what skin myiasis looks like can be found in the photo.

Cutaneous myiasis epidermal.

In epidermal myiasis, fly eggs penetrate only the upper layers of the skin. Most often, this phenomenon is characteristic of infection with gadfly larvae. How it looks, look at the photo.

If the larvae make their way into the deeper layers of the skin and occupy areas connective tissue, one has to deal with the corresponding subcutaneous myiasis. This type of myiasis disease in humans is caused by the penetration of fly larvae and skin gadflies under the skin. Feature diseases - a small tumor that can change its location. Pimples often appear on the surface of the skin, resembling boils.

Cavity myases. They are formed when insect larvae penetrate into soft tissues and body cavities with their further destruction.

And finally, a special kind of disease - eye myiasis. You can see it in more detail on the photo. The best outcome for a person is if the gadfly or fly larva is introduced into the conjunctival sac of the eye (area upper eyelid). The most dangerous case is when insect eggs are diagnosed in the eyeball.

Symptoms of the disease

In the initial stages, especially if the larvae have entered the human skin, there may be no symptoms. In the future, as the larva develops, small tubercles the size of a pea can form under the skin. Gradually, they increase in size and take the form of a local tumor. characteristic feature The thing that has to be dealt with in myiasis and not in any other disease is that in myiasis the tumor can travel under the skin.

Symptoms may vary depending on the location of the larvae. If you have to deal with skin myiasis, the appearance of a tumor may be accompanied by the formation of small pustules resembling boils.

If the larvae enter the human digestive tract (for example, when they are accidentally eaten with meat products), the course of the disease may be accompanied by symptoms characteristic of the usual food poisoning. Nausea, vomiting, weakness, lethargy, apathy, sharp pains in the stomach, colitis are the most common signs of the disease. That is why it is often confused with a commonplace eating disorder and inadequate treatment is used.

The most important danger of myiasis is the rapid progression of the disease, since the larvae very quickly take root in the body of the victim and begin to grow. On average, their sizes can vary from the size of a small pea to a tumor with a diameter of up to 5 centimeters.

If these are gadfly larvae, most often patients are treated for intestinal diseases. In this case, we are talking about such a variety of myiasis as gastrofilosis. True, this type of disease occurs mainly in artiodactyl animals. The speed of penetration of the larvae into the internal organs is amazing - it can reach up to several tens of centimeters per day. The main goal of gadfly larvae is penetration into the stomach and intestines.

If another type of gadfly (the so-called "tropical" gadfly) enters the animal's body, abscessing areas, or nodes, form in the skin. Their sizes also increase very quickly. Another type of disease, the carrier of which are tropical flies, is cordylobiosis. The clinical picture during the progression of this disease is similar to the previous case. However, in the first case, the disease is called "dermatobiosis", and in the second - "cordylobiosis".

What to do?

In order for the larvae to leave the body on their own, special rubbing is used. For them, chloroform is usually used (if we are talking about damage to the skin by larvae), means for washing (if we are talking about the penetration of larvae into the stomach), drugs with anthelmintic properties (if we have to deal with intestinal damage).

Summary. Myiasis is a disease of the skin or internal organs, provoked by the penetration under the code of the larvae of various arthropod flies - indoor, meat, cheese or gadflies. The larvae develop and grow very quickly. In some cases, the speed of their movement under the skin can be up to several tens of centimeters per day. It is necessary to treat the disease with the help of means that promote the removal of larvae from the body (various compresses), as well as anthelmintic drugs.

All over the world, most often a person becomes infected with human gadfly larvae. Dermatobia hominis or Cordylobia anthropophaga.

Miaz - "fly larvae in man": symptoms, treatment, prevention

There are several types of skin lesions depending on the pathogen fly.

Boils are caused by a fly Cordylobia anthropophaga
The adult fly is plump and short, prefers shade and is most active in the morning and afternoon hours. She is attracted to the smell of urine and feces. Females lay their eggs on dry, sandy soil or on damp clothes that have been hung up to dry. The eggs hatch into larvae and can survive on clothing for up to 15 days. They are activated on a warm body and bite through the skin with sharp jaws, penetrating inside, inside they become spindle-shaped, reach 13-14 mm in length. Their developmental stage is shorter than that of the human gadfly.

Fly - Cochliomyia hominivorax. The adult fly is short and the body has a bluish-green-metallic hue, to black, the larvae are pink, strongly segmented. Females lay their eggs in contaminated wounds where the larvae feed on necrotic tissue. Flies are carried by the wind and sit on a new victim.

Symptoms

In civilized countries, episodes of myiasis are rare, more often in travelers who have returned from the tropics or from Africa, usually a person goes to the doctor a month after returning with a complaint of skin inflammation.

There is folk way— create occlusion in the nest of larvae:

• the place must be filled with petroleum jelly or liquid paraffin, beeswax, or put strips of lard to suffocate the worms or lure the larvae out from under the skin $
• they usually come out within a few hours. At the moment when the worm appears from the hole, it is captured with tweezers and removed $
• sometimes you have to make a hole. After the application of suffocating substances, the larvae come out in 3-24 hours.

This treatment is based on creating anoxic conditions for the larvae, but if they do not come out, then they have to be removed surgically.

• Surgical removal is performed under local anesthesia with lidocaine. Lidocaine can be injected under the base of the boil to create pressure and push the worms out.
• The larvae are attached with their spines deep under the skin and it is important to remove them so that the torn parts do not remain in the wound. Otherwise, an inflammation reaction to a foreign body will develop and the wound will fester for a long time.
• It is more convenient to extract the larvae with anatomical tweezers with corrugated branches.
• After removal, apply an aseptic bandage

Wounded myiasis is treated with treatment of the wound with chloroform or a mixture of chloroform with vegetable oil. The larvae can be removed and the wound left for secondary healing. Sometimes the larvae are not removed at all, as they clean the wound very well, and leave themselves in 5-7 weeks.

There is also systemic therapy - ivermectin.
Ivermectin tablets are occasionally prescribed, more often for ophthalmomyiasis, there is also ivermectin for topical use, it can be used in the treatment of wounded myiasis.

Myiasis prevention

Prevention consists of wearing closed clothing in rural areas where infection can occur and ironing the clothing with an iron.

The first type is dangerous for both humans and animals. With untimely treatment, disastrous consequences are possible.

The second type is characteristic of He, of course, is not dangerous, like the first type, but still, if this happens, boils form on the body of a person or animal. In addition, there are severe pains. After that, pus may be released.

The cavity type is most common in goats. The larvae are first in the nostril, and then penetrate into the respiratory tract.

An adult gadfly larva is a fly. Its size is about 2 cm. It is somewhat similar to a bumblebee.

But in order to distinguish it from this insect, there are a number of signs:

• big head;
• large eyes;
• blue belly;
• orange paws;
• transparent wings.

Half a minute after the exit, an adult gadfly can fly. The female produces about 600 eggs. But, fortunately, only 1/6 of it survives.

On the territory of our country there are about 7 species of larvae. They mostly live in the body of cattle. There are cases when gadfly larvae were found in the human body in Russia. Their favorite place where they prefer to be is the eyes or the skin.

The gadfly larva in a person can be anywhere. For example, it can be found on the arm, and on the chest, and on the leg, and even on the head. But their favorite habitats are the armpits and back. It also happens that the gadfly larva in the body is located in the nose or eye.

After that, the person's condition sharply begins to deteriorate. Nausea or vomiting, weakness and dizziness, muscle pain are the main symptoms of the penetration of the gadfly larvae into the body. In the area where there is inflammation, the patient may feel something moving.

The penetration of larvae into the vitreous body of the eyeball is very dangerous. Then a person can lose sight altogether.

• headache;
• deterioration of the sense of smell;
• swelling of the nose;
• pain at the location of the larva.

Surprisingly, these harmful microorganisms can crawl out through the nostril.

How is the diagnosis made?

The main method is the delivery of a blood test. It determines the amount of antibodies. The patient is also asked a series of questions. For example, they ask if he was in places where the disease is common. In addition to all this, the specialist conducts a visual inspection. Using this method, you can detect an inflamed purulent abscess. It has a hole through which air flows. The doctor examines the place with the help of special device, namely loops.

If you are sure that there are gadfly larvae in the body, then you should not contact a therapist, but immediately contact an infectious disease specialist.

How is the treatment for infection with larvae?

Removal of gadfly larvae: how does it happen?

A complex operation should be performed only by a specialist. The gadfly itself is located in the very deep layers of the epidermis. As mentioned above, there it is located thanks to the hooks. If the patient himself tries to perform this entire procedure, then it is possible that part of the larva will remain under the skin. With this outcome of events, suppuration and an inflammatory process will follow.

As soon as the operation is completed, an antiseptic bandage is applied to the place where the abscess used to be.

Infection prevention

But most often under the skin of a person, the gadfly larva penetrates precisely in countries with a tropical climate. And if you decide to go there, then observe a few simple rules. Avoid places where it lives a large number of insects. Of course, you need to wear clothing that will protect against bites. Now in stores there is a huge selection of good repellents. They should be used too.

If, nevertheless, for example, an insect has bitten you, you should not panic ahead of time, but you should not forget about it either. First, you should treat the wound with a disinfectant. And watch her. If something went wrong, you should immediately contact a specialist. The doctor will examine you, if the diagnosis is confirmed, he will send you to the appropriate procedures, and if the opposite is true, you can safely return home. And don't forget that vigilance never hurt anyone.

The nutrition of adults occurs exclusively due to the nutrients accumulated by the insect in the larval stage. The gadfly does not consume blood or any other food, therefore it does not live long (from 3 days to 4 weeks). But its larvae, on the contrary, require enhanced nutrition, which they receive from the blood of a creature that has become their unwitting master. For example, they feed on blood. gadfly larvae in humans.

Reproduction of gadflies

Immediately after birth (in just 30 seconds), the gadfly is capable of performing the main actions that are the purpose of its existence - flight and reproduction.

The female lays up to 700 eggs in the hairline of an animal (for example, livestock). Approximately every fifth egg hatches into a larva.

Entry into the human body

In order to meet a gadfly that lays eggs directly on the human body, you need to go to Central America. Species living in Russia prefer cattle and horses. Although our gadflies sometimes make mistakes, choosing people as their victims, but this happens very rarely.

If it enters the eye, the larva causes an increase in eye pressure, bleeding and pain. Over time, this can lead to deterioration of vision and even to its complete loss.

The larva of the gastric gadfly, which is infected by contact with horses, causes approximately the same symptoms when it enters the body. In addition, these larvae can enter the stomach (it is assumed that this occurs when they are accidentally swallowed) and cause quite a serious digestive upset.

Treatment and prevention

The presence of gadfly larvae in the body is determined by the amount of antibodies in the blood. They are treated either by surgical removal or by the application of ivermectin and aversectin ointment.

Gadfly - an insect that is very reminiscent of a fly. He has a short mustache and large expressive eyes that shimmer in the sun. different colors. The length of the body of the gadfly reaches twenty millimeters. The body is covered with villi - short, hard, dense and often brightly colored. The head of an insect is shaped like a hemisphere. Well developed. The wings are light, transparent, dotted with small veins and wrinkles - just like those of a fly. The hind legs are slightly longer than the front legs.

The gadfly insect, whose description is so similar to that of an ordinary fly, is nevertheless very different from this annoying human neighbor. And the size of the body, and the amount of harm caused.

Life cycle of a gadfly

Gadfly - an insect that has a closed chain of transformations. In the full cycle of its development (with rare exceptions) it goes from the egg to the adult state (adult), having overcome the forms between them, first the larva, then the pupa. It takes about a year for the gadfly to do everything about everything.

At the first stage of the life cycle, the female insect lays eggs. Ideally - on the body (or inside the body) of the animal; in extreme cases - somewhere in the grass (so that the animal can swallow them with food).

Once in favorable conditions, the eggs become larvae, which calmly mature in warmth until the right moment, and then fall out of the body of the animal along with feces or exit through the skin.

After some time, the larva turns into a pupa, and that, in turn, into an adult.

An interesting point: a mature insect does not need food! It lacks the reserves accumulated by the larva during its "residence" in the body of the animal, then - in the "hypostasis" of the pupa. True, an adult does not live long - only three to four days. Her main task is to have time to give offspring, and on this "mission" is considered completed.

This is the “meaning of life” that the gadfly has - an insect, a photo of which can be seen in this article.

Kinds

Depending on which part of the body their larvae live in, gadflies are divided into species. Below are the most common ones.

The gadfly is an insect that is quite common in Russia. About six species of this animal tormentor live on its territory.

Where and when to expect a meeting with a gadfly?

The duration of the period of activity of gadflies depends on the climatic zone to which this or that area belongs. The longer the summer, the longer this period. In Russia, it takes about three months - from June to August. When the insect gadfly disappears, it's time to prepare for the cold.

The most active gadfly in dry, hot weather. In the open sun, he turns into a real monster, but he does not like cloudy moisture.

The habitual habitat of the gadfly is the shores of natural reservoirs, as well as forest and steppe. Often, these insects choose certain areas for themselves, where a large number of females accumulate. This is also where the males come in. Usually such areas are places of constant walking of livestock or swampy areas. One should stay away from them.

Gadfly harm

The gadfly poses the greatest danger, of course, to livestock. Getting into the body of an animal, insect eggs very soon turn into voracious larvae that simply eat their "house" from the inside.

They absorb nutrients in exorbitant quantities, stocking them up for the future, causing diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and sometimes the death of the animal. In addition, growing up and striving to "exit", the larvae of some species of gadflies gnaw holes in the skin. Thus causing pain and making unusable the skin of livestock on the farm.

Scientists have long proven that cows that are constantly attacked by gadflies give much less milk than their luckier "comrades". Annoying insects irritate animals, cause them tension and do not allow them to eat normally - hence the low milk yield.

And gadfly bites can harm not only cows, but also humans.

Symptoms and consequences of a gadfly bite

When going to nature on a hot summer day, you should remember that a dangerous gadfly can be waiting there. An insect bite of a person produces not so imperceptibly.

Usually, "planning" to make an attack and approaching the intended victim, this fly buzzes very loudly and disgustingly. So, in principle, there is a chance of shrugging it off. But if the bite did occur, the following symptoms indicate it:

• a bright red spot on the skin with a diameter of one millimeter or a little more;
• severe burning, itching at the bite site and around it;
• blood that cannot be stopped for a long time;
• a large swelling that forms some time after the bite (especially often on the face in the eye area);
• deterioration of health, symptoms of intoxication in case of numerous bites (it happens that gadflies attack in a group).

Often, after a bite, a person develops an allergy or dermatitis. And even more often, the edema grows to a huge size and does not go away for several days. To prevent this from happening, you need to take appropriate measures immediately after an unsuccessful contact with an insect.

First aid for a gadfly bite

If all the symptoms of a gadfly bite are present, the following algorithm of actions is recommended:

• wash the affected area thoroughly with water (possible with soap);
• to remove dirt, you need to drop a little hydrogen peroxide into the bite site or lubricate the area with brilliant green;
• if the bite caused severe pain, you can take painkillers;
• in the absence of medicines, the use of natural “helpers” is allowed, for example, juice squeezed out of a chamomile stem will effectively anesthetize and act as an antiseptic;
• if the bite site begins to swell, it is advisable to take antihistamines that prevent the spread of infection;
• the bite site must be observed for at least a day;
• it will not be superfluous to go to the doctor, because gadflies often become carriers of dangerous infections, so it is better to play it safe.

How to avoid a meeting with a gadfly and how to defeat him

In this world, nothing is impossible, and you can meet a gadfly even in the urban "jungle". But the risk increases tenfold for those who go out into nature. Experienced travelers know what an insidious gadfly (insect). They also know how to deal with it and at least protect themselves to a minimum. Here is what every tourist should take care of:

• about tents equipped with mosquito nets;
• about clothes of a neutral color - gadflies love bright colors;
• about wormwood, tansy, yarrow, which you can carry with you and lay out around the tent;
• about chamomile, the branches of which can be thrown into a fire - such a flavored smoke will scare away gadflies.

And it is very important to remember: the gadfly is an insect (the photo of which can be seen in this article) is quite dangerous! It is not worth neglecting preventive measures. And if you already happened to become a victim of an aggressor, then you should treat the bite very carefully. Little whether that?! In this case, the old Russian proverb will come in handy: "God protects the safe."