The study identified 204 cases in all, but two did not have sufficient data to be included in the analysis. Of the 202 remaining cases, researchers found 145 (72 percent) were in male patients. The age of fly victims ranged from 12 to 93 years, but skewed toward older adults, with a mean of 61. Most of the myiasis cases (77 percent) were in patients with one or more underlying health conditions, most commonly diabetes, alcoholism, cancers, and skin conditions.
When the flies infect humans, they seem to have the most success infesting the legs and feet, the study found; More than half (55 percent) of cases were in the lower limbs. But the flies are not picky. The next most common sites were reported as the head/neck, including the nose, mouth, and eyes. Fewer cases were seen in the upper limbs, trunk, ear, genitalia, and abdominal cavity.
Six deaths were reported among patients with confirmed NWS myiasis, but it’s unclear in most of the cases how much the infestation contributed to the deaths. Only one had NWS myiasis listed as the cause of the death. The other deaths were in patients with cancers, encephalitis, respiratory failure, and septic shock. The average age of patients with NWS-linked deaths was 79.5 years.
