Oral cavity myiasis in children: first demonstration in Egypt with general review

Myiasis is a problem of medical veterinary and real economic importance which affects the human welfare worldwide particularly in animal raising countries. Myiasis of man and animals is a real welfare problem of worldwide distribution. The most important insects from medical point of view are the blood suckers or the insect-borne diseases. Still others, almost non-blood suckers, but may attack man and animal to deposit their eggs or larvae causing pathogenic conditions in skin, nose, eye, lung, ear, anus, and vagina but oral manifestation is exceptional. This study focused on the clinical pictures and pathogenesis of human oral cavity myiasis. Thirteen cases were demonstrated for the first time in Egypt, ten children and the parents of three children. The extracted larvae were Lucilia sericata (four cases), Wohlfahrtia magnifica (three cases), Oestrus ovis (three children and their parents) and Musca domestica vicina (one case). The presence of O. ovis in three children and their parents recommended zoonotic myiasis. The predisposing factors were mouth breathing, incompetent lips, low socioeconomic condition, malnutrition, and inability of a child to perform daily activities due to the neurodegenerative disease.