What Is Myiasis?
8. What About Treatment?
Most treatments revolve around cleansing the affected area and physically removing the larvae, usually under local anesthesia. Since many forms of larvae are covered with minute hooks that allow them to grip the surrounding tissue, they cannot simply be plucked from the sore. Failure to remove the entire infestation often results in secondary infection or death of surrounding tissue.
There are other treatment options. Petroleum jelly, nail polish, beeswax, paraffin, or other oils can be used to block the wound opening and the larvae’s air supply. Once they emerge to the skin’s surface, maggots can be removed with tweezers or forceps. Applying lidocaine to the base of the infestation can result in swelling that pushes larvae to the surface.
Advertisement
