What Is Myiasis?
10. What Is the Prognosis?
Luckily, myiasis is a self-limiting condition. Although morbidity is very rare, many people report pain and discomfort in the affected skin. There is also a risk of infection or the development of cellulitis. In some cases, larvae infesting skin around the head and face burrow into the brain cavity, leading to tissue damage and possible death. They may also burrow through fontanels in young infants.
If left untreated, an infection lasts for the duration of the larvae’s life cycle. In the case of the human bot fly, that is roughly five weeks. Once the larvae emerge and develop into flies, the infection is resolved. However, there can be significant psychological trauma associated with an infestation of maggots.
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