LETTER TO THE EDITOR

 

 

FIRST NOTIFICATION OF THE CATTLE SCREW WORM (Cochliomyia hominivorax) IN A HUMAN CASE IN CUBA

 

A 60 year old male patient coming from a rural area was attended by the Otorhinolaryngology Service at "Hermanos Ameijeiras" hospital. This patient suffered from a nasal tumor (estesioneuroblastoma) that due to its spread to the endocranium region, its surgical resection was not possible, thus chimiotherapy with cisplatine and 15 radiotherapy sessions were prescribed. There were some characterized symptoms such as: migraine, mucopurulent fetid secretion, chemosis in the left eye and a great quantity of fly larvae coming from the left nasal ventricle, not diagnosed at the beginning.

The patient was hospitalized in order to carry out some imagenological studies. A tumor lesion was observed in the nostrils, and more than 200 live fly larvae were extracted. They were sent to the Veterinary Parasitology Laboratory at the National Center for Animal and Plant Health (CENSA), where the presence of C. hominivorax stage III was diagnosed. The two tracheal trunks in dark color, from the terminal 9-12 segments, were observed when the specimen was seen dorsally.

The patient was applied a unique dose of Ivermectin (200 ug/kg) by oral route, achieving the patient's recovery.

 

 

J.G. Rodríguez Diego*, G. Córdova Ramos** y R. Arozarena**

* Veterinary Parasitology Laboratory. National Center for Animal and Plant Health (CENSA). Carretera de Jamaica y Autopista Nacional, Apdo. 10, San José de Las Lajas. Habana. Cuba. E-mail: [e-mail]; **Otorhinolaryngology Service. "Hermanos Ameijeiras" Hospital. MINSAP. Havana. Cuba. E-mail: [e-mail]