Horror As Man Finds 20 Live Maggots Under His Skin After Six-Month Africa Trip

A man who suffered itching and skin sores on his return from a trip to Africa was found to have 20 maggots living under his skin.

The man, known only as Ma, from Guangzhou in China, went to see his local doctor complaining of painful, blistering skin sores after working in the continent for six months.

After two weeks, his condition failed to improve, so he visited a dermatologist at the Shenzhen Nanshan Hospital.

The dermatologist examined him and determined that maggots were living beneath the skin of his abdomen and right thigh.

A blood test showed high levels of eosinophils, white blood cells for combating parasites and infections, which confirmed the diagnosis.

The man later underwent a minor surgical procedure to extract a total of 20 live maggots from his body.

The maggots were then identified as tumbu fly maggots, a type of blowfly whose larvae feeds on living human tissue.

The fly, also known as the skin maggot fly, is a species of blow-fly common in East and Central Africa. It is a parasite of large mammals, including humans, during its larval stage.

First, the tumbu fly lays its eggs on the ground. Then the larvae, known as Cayor Worms, wriggle over the soil until they come in contact with man or a mammal, penetrate the skin and lie in the 'subcutaneous' tissue, causing the formation of tumours.

It takes eight to 12 days developing through three larval stages before it reaches full growth, when ot falls to the ground, bury themselves and pupate.

Parasitic flies are prevalent in Africa, and travellers are advised to take precaution against insects.

[Dailymail]