MYIASIS— TYPES OF INJURY, LIFE HISTORY, HABITS 179 



extensive destruction of tissues often results in septicaemia or meningitis. 

 Infestation of wounds on the battlefield or even in hospitals is not at all 

 infrequent, but such cases are much more easily treated than nasal infes- 

 tations. 



The black blow fly, Phormia regina Meigen, usually infests only old 

 suppurating wounds. In livestock it is commonly found following dehorn- 

 ing and has also been proved to be a common source of wool infestation 

 of sheep in the Southwest. In the latter case the soiled wool following 

 lambing attracts flies and the maggots feed on this for some time but 

 later may enter the sheep itself and cause its destruction. 



The green bottle flies, Lucilia sericata Meigen and L. ccesar Linnaeus, 

 which are commonly known as the wool maggots in the British Isles, 

 occur throughout the United States. They have been known to infest 

 wounds in man and animals but the main source of trouble has been the 

 infestation of soiled wool on sheep. The method of attack in wounds is 

 similar to that of screw-worms, but the tissue destruction is less rapid 

 although this depends largely in either case upon the number of larvae 

 present. They are more abundant in towns than in open country. 



In South and Central America and the West Indies, Chrysomya 

 macellaria abounds and gives similar troubles to those in the United 

 States. In Brazil, Sarcophaga lambens Wiedemann and S. pyopMla N. 

 & F. have been reported by Neiva and De Faria to infest wounds. In 

 Hawaii Calliphora dux (Thompson) has caused considerable loss by 

 attacking soiled wool and scabs on sheep. 



Europe. — In Europe the principal trouble from myiasis occurs in 

 southern Russia. A considerable number of cases occur in the Mediter- 

 ranean region and some farther north in Australia and Germany. In 

 southeastern Russia, according to Portchinsky, the vast majority of cases 

 of this type are caused by the flesh fly, Wohlfahrtia magnifica Schiner, 

 which appears to have habits of attack on man and animals very similar 

 to that of the screw-worm fly in America. He speaks of its attack usually 

 following wounds on the bodies of cattle, horses, pigs, dogs, and poultry. 

 It also commonly infests the feet of animals suffering from foot-and- 

 mouth disease. The cases in man occur most commonly in the nose, ears, 

 and eyes. The injury is often serious, resulting in deafness, blindness, 

 or facial disfiguration, and not infrequently in death. This fly deposits 

 living larva, and infestations in man are usually the result of sleeping 

 outdoors during the warm part of the day. The fly is most abundant 

 in fields and woods rather than in towns. It is said to breed in living 

 animals only, thus differing in an important respect from the screw- 

 worm fly. 



While this species is not commonly spoken of as a pest in western 

 Europe, Liitje reports considerable trouble from it in the western war 



