A surgery was done at Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj on an American woman who was diagnosed with a rare case of tissue infection, called myiasis. The hospital authorities claimed that during the surgery which was successful, "three live human botflies almost 2 cm in size" were removed.

The infection is caused by a fly larva (maggot) in human tissue and occurs in tropical and subtropical areas. The 32-year-old patient had visited the hospital’s emergency department and reported swelling in the right upper eyelid along with redness and tenderness. Besides, she had also reported feeling something moving inside her eyelids once in a while for the past four to six weeks.

Sharing details about the case, the hospital’s head of emergency department, Dr Mohammad Nadeem said: "It was a very rare case of myiasis. Therefore, these cases need to be evaluated in detail urgently. The US national is a traveller and had a history of visiting the Amazon jungle two months back. Suspecting foreign body from her history of travelling, and noticing movements inside her skin, diagnosis was done.”

The statement issued by the hospital said that Dr Narola Yanger from the surgery department removed "three live human botflies almost 2 cm in size — one from the right upper eyelid, second one from back of her neck and third from her right forearm.”

The surgery was completed in 15 minutes without any anaesthesia and the patient discharged.

The larvae are transmitted to people either by flies depositing their eggs on or near a wound or sore, through a mosquito bite or by skin contact with the larvae.

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