Myiasis due to Cordylobia anthropophaga in Zambia

Dermal or subdermal myiasis due to larvae of the African tumbu fly Cordylobia anthropophaga is described from Zambia for the first time. Differential diagnosis from the closely allied C. rodhaini is considered. A patient presenting with the lesion on the penis is described. Multiple infection with different developmental stages is discussed in relation to multiple exposure or immunity. Many cases of myiasis may not reach the attention of medical personnel because of the tendency of the mature larvae to migrate out of the lesion which subsequently heals; traditional healers, to whom the condition has been known for long, also successfully extract the larvae.