Thanks all. Your concern has been greatly appreciated by my wife and I.

We went back to the Dr's this morning, clutching a medical report on Botflys. We pursuaded him to open up the wound. He found a 6mm long larva. The picture of it can be found here;
http://195.171.167.210/img_0785.jpg

My wife is totally relieved now (although a little traumatized). The Dr is sending the larva off for positive identification. He doesn't anticipate and further complications.

We both just relieved! Fortunately it hasn't dented my wife's enthusiasm for travel, hopefully we're off to Thailand next year!

Many Thanks

Mike

I'm putting together a page on botflies so we can get this info to folks in the future...

I am also responding to posts on BelizeNet, but the info here should help Marty.

It certainly seemed that she was reacting to the larva. Her lymph glands were going up and down since the bite. Apparently the swelling was very pronounced because it was on her head. If it had been on her back, leg or arm, it would have appeared much smaller because the swelling would have been absorbed by the muscle. On her head, there was nowhere for the swelling to go but up and out.

The pain was also severe because of the presence of a lot of pain receptors, nerves and blood flow in the scalp, compared to, say, a person's back. That is probably also why her face swelled up as well.

The Dr said he would put together a scientific paper on this when he gets a species identification of the larva.

We are pleased that a bit of internet searching put us right. I was able to find the very good scientific paper on it here; http://www.medscape.com/SCP/IIM/2001/v18.n03/m1803.03.vinc/pnt-m1803.03.vinc.html

You do need to register on the site, but it is free and only took me a minute.

It also says a lot for the Dr that he listened to us, even though he had never heard of it before (northern Virginia). We saved on a few more presecriptions for antibiotics and pain relief!

Thanks again

Mike

I have posted this before, but it is worth posting again, WE BOARDERS, are the most wonderful helpful and resourceful group ever.
Also everyone is so supportive.

Mike thanks, for your info, and hope Wife is feeling more comfortable now. Bless Her.

Geeze Louise....bot fly wolves, hookworns.
This geriatric lady will be making her first trip to AC in March.
Are there any preventive measures I should be taking now, e.g. loading up on antibiotics, special soaps.
Which repellents work best in country? Will normal hygiene practices surfice?
Sure don't want to bring home unwanted hitch hikers.

I have the most interesting scar on my calf from a trip to Belize where I picked up some little critter.

The little critter wandered around just underneath the skin for a period of about three to four weeks leaving a little tunnel effect everywhere that it went. During the day it was pretty quiet but everynight that critter would make a move and wake me up. The harder I scratched the more it moved and itched. After awhile I headed to the pharmcist who had no idea, then to the doctor who had no idea, but did have a plan.
He sprayed my calf with a freeze spray and that seemed to help for awhile. Several nights later the critter was on the move again. My husband went to the store bought a can of butane lighter fluid and followed me around spraying the back of my leg everytime that critter moved. Eventually we were sucessful and ended up killing it.

Not that I am an advocate of having your husband running around spraying your calf with butane lighter fluid but 12 years ago we did not have a message board and helpful people to give instructions. LOL

On the subject of hookworms you can get them everywhere that its warm. I have had them here in Florida. It pays to keep your shoes on.

Still by far the most dangerous critter is still that two legged smooth talking Belizean guy.

Mike, your wife is a trooper! I would have to be sedated after something like that came out of my head. My hat's off to her. Cheers!

Now that you said it, I remember years ago my aunt's dog had a botfly in the neck area years ago. It also swelled up massively with lymph fluid. I've had a few in my time. Back then I figured that since they are all insects, I put some headlice medicine on the spot - which killed the bug and a couple days later the little dead critter was poking out of the pinhole and I pulled it out. I never pulled out fat hairy one as I did not want to entertain them for too long, eeewww.

[This message has been edited by belizeanblue (edited 01-18-2002).]

The "critter" described by Kcbc looks to have been a case of "larva migrans", the result of the larva of a hookworm, Acylostoma sp., normally a parasite of dogs and other carnivores, entering a human and, being unable to make its way to the gut, wanders around under the skin, causing a marked immune response. The eggs hatch, often in beach areas and the larva burrows through the skin. The infestation is annoying but not serious, and easily cured. Treatment by a knowledgeable physician should be sought because, untreated, the condition _may_ persist for many weeks.

For a recent discussion, see:

Green, A.D., Mason, C. and Spragg, P.M. 2001.
Outbreak of cutaneous larva migrans among British military personnel in Belize.
J. Travel Med., 8: 267–269.

Dear sweet mother of Jesus. I want to tell you right now that if I ever get that bot fly thing, whoever has the guts to do it can just slit my neck. If not, I will have to undergo years of counseling, and perhaps sit idly and stare out the window of a mental institution for a while, knowing that I incubated a maggot under my skin. I can't bear to read this topic any longer. And now that I have said all of this, it is a sure thing that I am going to get it when I go there in March. I'm puttin' on pure DEET, and covering every inch of skin with it.

<shiver>

PS: Mike, no offense is meant to your wife in my above ranting. I think she deserves a nice little treat for what she has gone through... like say jewells and chocolate? She is a trooper!

[This message has been edited by KC (edited 01-18-2002).]