Human cutaneous myiasis in Brisbane: a prospective study.

Although cases of human cutaneous myiasis do occur in Queensland, few have been reported in the medical literature. No prospective studies to record and to identify the Diptera that are responsible in a particular area seem to have been reported. Thus, a prospective study was undertaken in Brisbane hospitals between October 9, 1986 and March 15, 1988. Fourteen infestations were recorded and, in 12 cases, the larvae were bred through to adult flies. In 10 cases, Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) was identified and, in two cases, Parasarcophaga crassipalpis (Macquart) was identified. All cases, except one, occurred during warm weather. The patients mainly were old, ill and debilitated. Myiasis was present on admission to hospital in eight patients and occurred three days to two months after hospital admission in the other cases. It is believed that this is the first prospective study of human cutaneous myiasis to be published, with the largest series of Lucilia cuprina and the first study to incriminate Parasarcophaga crassipalpis in myiasis in humans. It also is the largest Australian series of human cutaneous myiasis, and the first to report Lucilia cuprina as an agent in human myiasis in Australia.