Human Wound Colonization by Lucilia eximia and Chrysomya rufifacies (Diptera: Calliphoridae): Myiasis, Perimortem, or Postmortem Colonization?

The infestation of human or animal tissues by fly larvae has been given distinctive terminology depending on the timing and location of colonization. Wounds and orifices colonized by Diptera in a living human or animal are typically referred to as myiasis. When the colonization occurs after death, i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical entomology 2014-05, Vol.51 (3), p.716-719
Main Authors: Sanford, Michelle R, Whitworth, Terry L, Phatak, Darshan R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
animal tissues
Animals
Blowflies
body temperature
Chrysomya rufifacies
death
Diptera - classification
Diptera - growth & development
Diptera - physiology
Fatal Outcome
forensic entomology
Forensic Pathology
Humans
insect larvae
insects
Larva - classification
Larva - growth & development
Larva - physiology
Leg Injuries - etiology
Leg Injuries - pathology
Lucilia
Male
Middle Aged
myiasis
Myiasis - pathology
Necrosis - etiology
Postmortem Changes
Species Specificity
terminology
Texas
Wounds and Injuries
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Summary:The infestation of human or animal tissues by fly larvae has been given distinctive terminology depending on the timing and location of colonization. Wounds and orifices colonized by Diptera in a living human or animal are typically referred to as myiasis. When the colonization occurs after death, it is referred to as postmortem colonization and can be used to estimate the minimum postmortem interval. What happens when the human, as in the case presented here, has a necrotic limb while the human remains alive, at least for a short period of time? The case presented here documents perimortem wound colonization by Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann) and Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) and the considerations for approximating development temperatures and estimating the time of colonization (TOC). This represents the first record of L. eximia in human myiasis in the United States and the first record of the co-occurrence of L. eximia and C. rufifacies in human myiasis in the United States. The TOC was estimated using both ambient and body temperature. Insect colonization before death complicates the estimation of TOC and minimum postmortem interval and illustrates the problem of temperature approximation in forensic entomology casework.
ISSN:0022-2585
1938-2928
0022-2585
DOI:10.1603/ME13229