What are Myiasis / Maggots?
Myiasis is a fly larvae (maggot) infection in human tissue commonly occurring in people living in tropical and subtropical regions.
Maggot infection is rare in the United States. People get the disease when they travel to areas like South America, Africa, or other developing countries.
People who travel with open wounds or injuries are more vulnerable to maggot infection as it makes them the easiest targets.
What are Oral Myiasis/Mouth Maggots?
The term myiasis was first coined by F.W Hope back in 1840. The Greek term ‘myia’ means fly, and ‘iasis’ means disease.
Mouth maggots is an oral infection caused by dipterous larvae that feed on dead and living tissue in the host body. Even though the mouth is the least favorable environment for their occurrence, bad oral hygiene and conditions leading to the persistent opening of the mouth can cause oral myiasis.
