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From: andrewt@cs.su.oz (Andrew Taylor)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Mutant flies
Message-ID: <2464@cluster.cs.su.oz.au>
Date: 26 May 91 14:30:54 GMT
Article-I.D.: cluster.2464
References: <19490@csli.Stanford.EDU>
Sender: news@cluster.cs.su.oz.au
Reply-To: andrewt@cluster.cs.su.oz (Andrew Taylor)
Organization: Basser Dept of Computer Science, University of Sydney, Australia
Lines: 18

In article <19490@csli.Stanford.EDU> cphoenix@csli.Stanford.EDU (Chris Phoenix) writes:
> I read recently on some group (maybe this one?) that there is a recently-
> appeared type of fly that lays eggs in living tissue, and the maggots eat
> the tissue, with often-fatal results. ...

The larva of a number of fly species are occasionally found in humans.
I guess many more occur in other animals. One that does afflict humans
regularly is the Tumbu fly (Cordtlobia anthropophaga) of West/Central
Africa. It lays its eggs on clothing. The larva hatch in response
to body warmth and invade the skin. Two weeks later they emerge, fall to
the ground and pupate. They develop into adult flies in several days.

Tumbu fly larvae can be removed by covering the larvae's entrance hole
with oil. The larvae will partly emerge to breath and it can be extracted.

I've never heard of a fly whose is larvae has fatal effects on humans.

Andrew Taylor