Rare cutaneous myiasis of the face due to Lund’s fly (Cordylobia rodhaini) in a British traveller returning from Uganda

Abstract

We present a rare cause for cutaneous furuncular myiasis in a 55-year-old British traveller returning from Uganda. Initially presenting with what appeared to be a cellulitic furuncle on her forehead, she returned to the emergency department 3 days later with extensive preseptal periorbital swelling and pain. Occlusive treatment with petroleum jelly was applied and one larva manually extracted and sent to London School of Tropical Medicine for examination. It was identified as Lund’s Fly (Cordylobia rodhaini), a rare species from the rainforests of Africa with only one other case reported in the UK since 2015. Ultrasound imaging identified another larva, necessitating surgical exploration and cleaning. The lesion subsequently healed completely and the patient remains well.

Lund’s Fly Myiasis

“…Although Lund’s fly myiasis in humans is rarely reported – to our knowledge only 28 cases have been recorded in literature [3–6] – travelers to Sub-Saharan Africa should be aware of possible fomite-mediated transmission of myiasis. Location of myiasis on the forehead with secondary periorbital swelling is exceptional, but it also is described in a similar report of Lund’s Fly myiasis [4]. This case highlights the diversity of the Cordylobia species as a possible cause of cutaneous myiasis in travelers returning from Africa.…”