Anyone here ever had to deal with a bot fly while on safari? A mention by one of the hosts on a TV program that he had a bot fly growing in the back of his leg (while out elephant hunting) got me wondering.
____________________________
If you died tomorrow, what would you have done today ...
Will had one get into his cranium, has never been the same since . . . pink shirts, Teva sandals, knickers, sleeveless shirts, single trigger double rifles. It has been sad to see his general decline.
[Apologies for the brief hijack. I did not see the show but that sounds damn nasty. Sign me up for teste flies if bot flies are the alternative.]
Mike
19 September 2010, 01:32
Duckear
I saw a guy in the ER in HI as an intern.
He had been to the big island and had sheep bot fly larvae swimming in his eyes (in the tear film).
Rather unsettling sight. Still makes me itch to think about it.
Hunting: Exercising dominion over creation at 2800 fps.
19 September 2010, 03:12
larryshores
Can someone explain what a bot fly is?
19 September 2010, 03:30
Cane Rat
quote:
Originally posted by larryshores: Can someone explain what a bot fly is?
Nasty, I wouldn't want one.
19 September 2010, 03:54
John Frederick
quote:
Originally posted by Cane Rat:
quote:
Originally posted by larryshores: Can someone explain what a bot fly is?
Cuterebra- One good reason your clothes are ironed while on safari. No one enjoys pulling out a bristly maggot that has burrowed into your skin. Usually there is more than one, they are party animals.
BTW- they occur here in the US, not as common but in areas with lots of rabbits and hares sometime the adult flies mistake a human for the Easter bunny. Ewwwwww...
~Ann
19 September 2010, 05:59
Cane Rat
quote:
Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
BTW- they occur here in the US, not as common but in areas with lots of rabbits and hares sometime the adult flies mistake a human for the Easter bunny. Ewwwwww...
They certainly do, we get them in squirrels and rabbits here in Georgia. Nasty, and you can feel them as a lump in the skin of the animal. They remain in the skin when you skin the animal however, so are harmless but very unappetizing.
19 September 2010, 06:29
azraddoc
As I understand it, mosquitos usually carry the bot fly eggs incidentally after feeding on other infected animal. Bot fly egg then usually deposited with mosguito sting/bite on human. Grows into larval stage in subcutaneous tissue and then travels/burrows - usually locally - before it breaks through skin (hatches) as mature fly. Helped take two of them out of my brother's scalp in ER after trip to Belize. Pretty nasty.
Heck of a first post on AR! Oh well, glad I found you guys.
19 September 2010, 08:10
Black Fly
I think the African and Asian versions are a Tumbu fly not a bot fly. Tumbus are a different genus than bot flies. If I recall correctly, Tumbus lay their eggs on clothing and in some cases on the soil surface. The parisitic larvae hatches and drops onto the skin surface and enters from there. Hence, the clothes ironing really is important. The western hemisphere human bot flies do lay their eggs on mosquitoes and some other insects and they are transferred when the body heat of the bitee causes the larvae to hatch during the biting episode. The larvae drop onto the skin from there. Had a researcher friend that got one on purpose, kind of personal scientific experiment. He had it removed before it completed its path to pupation. Said it really was unpleasant. He was usually a master at understatement. Bfly
Work hard and be nice, you never have enough time or friends.
Originally posted by MJines: Will had one get into his cranium, has never been the same since . . . pink shirts, Teva sandals, knickers, sleeveless shirts, single trigger double rifles. It has been sad to see his general decline.
[Apologies for the brief hijack. I did not see the show but that sounds damn nasty. Sign me up for teste flies if bot flies are the alternative.]
Naw! The one in his cranium died from alcohol poisoning. His weird ways are caused by shooting 6 1/2 lb elephant rifles.
465H&H
19 September 2010, 18:25
larryshores
I think I made my first trip over in 1988. I never heard of this before. Is ironing the clothes the only precaution?
19 September 2010, 18:47
shakari
As far as I know, ironing is the only 100% sure way of killing them but they're pretty damn unusual and I certainly wouldn't consider them one of the major risks of safari life.
I'd say you're considerably more likely to pick up bilharzia than you are a mango/bot fly. (lots of different local names for the same thing) and you're not very likely to pick up bilharzia.
19 September 2010, 19:42
Nitro Express
quote:
Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures: Cuterebra- One good reason your clothes are ironed while on safari. No one enjoys pulling out a bristly maggot that has burrowed into your skin. Usually there is more than one, they are party animals.
BTW- they occur here in the US, not as common but in areas with lots of rabbits and hares sometime the adult flies mistake a human for the Easter bunny. Ewwwwww...
Sounds like what we in the South always referred to as "wolves." Common in rabbits before the first frost.
LTC, USA, RET Benefactor Life Member, NRA Member, SCI & DSC Proud son of Texas A&M, Class of 1969
"A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" Robert Browning
20 September 2010, 17:29
smarterthanu
My old lady almost ran me out of the house for bringing home a tic once. I couldn't imagine what she would do if I told her I had a magot living inside me.
20 September 2010, 20:24
ledvm
quote:
Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures: Cuterebra- One good reason your clothes are ironed while on safari. No one enjoys pulling out a bristly maggot that has burrowed into your skin. Usually there is more than one, they are party animals.
BTW- they occur here in the US, not as common but in areas with lots of rabbits and hares sometime the adult flies mistake a human for the Easter bunny. Ewwwwww...
Ann is 100% correct!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ J. Lane Easter, DVM
A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House
No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991.
20 September 2010, 22:21
PAPI
I've been watching a TV Show : Discovery Channel ; Animal Planet.
I saw the same show, hence why when I heard "bot fly" and "safari" in the same sentence I had to ask. There's one guy who, in an effort to avoid getting bitten by all these bugs while on his camping trip, zipped his jacket up and covered his face leaving only the top of his head exposed. Ended up with several bot flies in his scalp - thought he was going crazy hearing this munching sound in his head.
____________________________
If you died tomorrow, what would you have done today ...
That's just of many parasites that cats, even big cats can carry and pass on...... and it's just one of the reasons I for one flatly refuse to eat big cat in camp or anywhere else.......
Bugger that for a lark!
21 September 2010, 21:57
Sevens
quote:
Originally posted by shakari: That's just of many parasites that cats, even big cats can carry and pass on...... and it's just one of the reasons I for one flatly refuse to eat big cat in camp or anywhere else.......
For all those of you who own a pet cat, you might be interested in a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. Just a little brain dwelling parasite that can get passed on to you while cleaning your cat's litter box.
... I'll stick with dogs, thank you!
____________________________
If you died tomorrow, what would you have done today ...
