WOUND MYIASIS CAUSED BY LUCILIA SERICATA

Lucilia sericata is one of the facultative parasites which causes myiasis in animals, and rarely in humans as an ectoparasite. Infestation in humans and domestic herbivorous animals occurs in wounds, mouth, eyes, and nose. It causes itching, pain, inflammation, secondary bacterial infections, eosinophilia, and erythema. We report on a 26-year-old man from Kashan, with a 12- year history of opium and a 3-year history of heroin injections was taken to Iran, following a heroine injection, and with signs of hypoxic encephalopathy, decreasing mental clearness, and coma. He was HBsAg and HIV negative, and HCV positive. From the wounds of his left hand, which were caused by repeated injections, 38 live larvae were removed. The larvae proved to be Lucilia sericata.