What Is Oral Myiasis?

The 'infestation with fly maggots' according to Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary is referred to as myiasis ("Myiasis Medical Definition | Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary," n.d.). When this phenomena takes place within the living tissues of the oral cavity it is then referred to as Oral Myiasis. Though this infectious disease is rare it is something that those working in the dental field, especially those practicing volunteer hygiene abroad, should be made aware of. The purpose of this paper is to educate the dental hygiene professional about the signs, symptoms and causes of oral myiasis. Because although rare, if not caught and treated in a timely manner oral myiasis can ultimately lead to the patient’s death. (Akhtar & Ali, 2014, p.
W. Hope in 1840. Its meaning comes from the Greek words Myia which means fly and iasis which means disease. Hope chose to conjoin the two words (myiasis) to represent the “infestation of live human and vertebrate animals with dipterous larvae which feed on the host’s dead or living tissue, liquid body substances, or ingested food”(Kumar, Puri, Yadav, & Tyagi, 2014, p. 195). It wasn't until later (1909) that Laurence coined the term ‘oral myiasis’ to describe the infestation of specifically the skin and mucosa of the mouth with larvae. (Maheshwari & Giridhar Naidu, 2010, p. 25) While oral myiasis is rare in humans (most myiasis is seen in cattle and livestock) there are certain predisposing factors that would make an individual more susceptible to this disease (Maheshwari & Giridhar Naidu, 2010, p. 25). Oral myiasis is most often seen in tropical areas of warmer, humid climate because the warm tropical climate helps to facilitatein the growth and reproduction of flies (Parwani, Patidar, Parwani, & Wanjari, 2014, p. 37). Poor oral hygiene also increases the risk of oral myiasis. The patient is at an even greater risk when they are a mouth breather in
145) . Infestations are seen most often in the subcutaneous layer of the skin. This may produce a benign boil looking lesion that is called a berne. The berne may be asymptomatic in itself but there may be mild to acute pain and discomfort for the patient due to the movement of the larvae (Surej Kumar, Manuel, John, & Sivan, 2011) . The larvae can also cause an increase in lacrimation, headaches, itching, sneezing and bloody discharge from the nose. (Sikder, Pradhan, Ferdousi, & Parvin, 2011, p. 206) Oral myiasis is associated will swelling that begins gradually on the tissue involved. The skin may look as if it were stretched and may appear erythematous. There may also be a rise in temperature to the localized area. Though in some cases the client will present with fever. Often times the patients will express that they have had difficulty eating due to pain and mobility of teeth involved. (Kumar, Puri, Yadav, & Tyagi, 2014, p. 195). If left untreated the maggots can cause the soft tissue to be injured and inflamed so extensively that the patient may suffer from meningitis and run the risk of death (Sikder, Pradhan, Ferdousi, & Parvin, 2011, p. 206). This is why it is