A Case Study of Human Otomyiasis Caused by Parasarcophaga similis (Meade, 1876) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) Found in Hiroshima, Japan
A rare human case of auditory meatus infestation with dipterous larvae found in a 74-year-old male residing in Hiroshima City, Japan is reported. On August 7, 2001, the patient consulted a local physician, complaining of auditory discomfort and aural discharge from his left ear, and acute otitis media was suspected. Otological examination revealed three dipterous larvae in the patient's left external auditory meatus. The removed larvae measured about 9.5 mm in length and 2.0 mm in maximum diameter with 12 visible segments on the body surface. By insectological observation, the specimens were identified as the 3rd instar larva of Parasarcophaga similis (Meade, 1876), belonging to the family Sarcophagidae, based on morphological characteristics of the cephalopharyngeal sclerite and anterior and posterior spiracles. To the best of our knowledge, the present report is the 3rd case of human otomyiasis caused by P. similis in Japan. The details and some bibliographical data are reported.
