A resident of Thailand found hundreds of larvae in her nose (5 photos)

A 59-year-old woman complained of nasal congestion and facial pain, but attributed her breathing problems to allergies. It was only when the nosebleed began that she noticed dozens of tiny maggots coming out of her nostrils.





She immediately went for examination to the hospital in Nakornping (Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand). Dr. Pateemon Thanachaihan examined the X-ray and noticed foreign bodies in the nostrils.



Doctors inserted an endoscope and more than 100 larvae were discovered and removed. After the procedure, the woman's condition improved dramatically.



The insects could spread to nearby organs such as the eyes or brain, causing disability and even death. Residents of the kingdom's northern regions, such as Chiang Mai, are believed to be more susceptible to respiratory diseases, allergies and rhinitis.



In 2022, a 64-year-old Portuguese man consulted doctors with complaints of itching, bleeding and ear pain and was eventually hospitalized.

It turned out that his ear canal was clogged with “numerous mobile larvae.” They managed to get rid of the pests using special forceps, after which the patient’s ear was washed with water.

Unfortunately, the carnivorous larvae damaged the eardrum. The man was examined at a hospital in Matosinhos, Portugal, and diagnosed with myiasis.

Doctor Katharina Rato explained: “The larvae are cylindrical, segmented, white-yellow in color...corresponding to the species Cochliomyia hominivorax.”



C. hominivorax is a parasitic fly from the tropics of the New World. The female lays up to 400 eggs in the flesh of other organisms, usually warm-blooded. The eggs hatch into larvae that feed on the tissues of the living host.

This fly is typically found in Central and South America, as well as some Caribbean islands such as Jamaica and Cuba.

Dr Rato said the patient was prescribed antibiotic ear drops and boric acid solution, as well as oral antibiotics.