THE BOY WITH THE BOIL-LIKE LESIONS
I am not too good with remembering dates but I think I have this superpower - the ability to remember events that happened as far back as when I was in Pre-Nursery classes.
I was in the Entomology laboratory few days ago and somehow I saw the larvae of a particular insect and immediately I remembered I had seen those same larvae about Sixteen years ago or so. The series of events that happened that day flooded my mind. It was as if the flood gates of my memory opened up so wide. In fact, I still remember the events like I know my name.
I was in the Entomology laboratory few days ago and somehow I saw the larvae of a particular insect and immediately I remembered I had seen those same larvae about Sixteen years ago or so. The series of events that happened that day flooded my mind. It was as if the flood gates of my memory opened up so wide. In fact, I still remember the events like I know my name.
This is it. We had this family who lived in the same compound with us. They were our neighbours. We did several things together and they had a son who was very stubborn.. very very stubborn. His name was Danjuma. It happened that Danjuma's mother noticed some boil-like lesions on his bumbum while she was bathing him. Prior to that day, she said she had noticed the boy was always scratching his bumbum and tried not to really sit with that side of the bumbum.
When she saw those boil-like lesions, she didn't know what they were or how they emerged so she beckoned on my Mom to come have a look. When my mom saw it, she suggested that she should use Shea butter oil on it. Of course, she agreed but somehow she asked if she could at least press it to see if there would be exudation of pus and my mom also agreed with her.
When Danjuma's mom applied just a little pressure on those boil-like lesions.. guess what happened. Yes..yes.. you're very correct. Live larvae popped out of Danjuma's bumbum, lol. We were all dumbfounded because we were trying to figure out where and how they came about. They were sincerely irritating but I wasn't irritated, I went very close and had very good look.
Now, me in the Entomology laboratory and seeing the larvae that looked like those ones that emerged from Danjuma's bumbum brought back the memories of that particular day. And today, I now know the larvae, the name, how they get to the body of humans and how they can be controlled.
Few days ago, I got to find out that they were larvae of a particular insect known as CORDYLOBIA ANTHROPOPHAGA... very beautiful name for a deadly insect. They are the causative agent of a particular condition known as FURUNCULAR MYIASIS.
FURUNCULAR MYIASIS is a type of MYIASIS and it is an infestation of live humans and vertebrate animals with larvae of dipterous flies which at least for a certain period feed on the host's living, dead tissues or liquid body. They just must, to complete their life cycle. Without it, they cannot attain Adulthood.
Adult CORDYLOBIA ANTHROPOPHAGA lay their eggs on sands of a very untidy environment as urine and/or some foul odour are attractants for them. They can also lay their eggs on Clothes hung outside to dry. And this is how they come in contact with the bodies of humans.. either when the children are playing on the ground or when these clothes are worn on children. Eggs hatch after a while and the larvae begin to burrow into the skin of animals or humans.. children especially, since they wouldn't really know that anything is crawling on or even in them.. the best they can do is to cry. The characteristic sign of the presence of these larvae is the characteristic boil-like lesion.. just like the one I saw on Danjuma's bumbum.
So, to prevent something that look like what I describe above, parents should always make sure to wash their children or wards' clothings properly.. and very well ironed so as to dessicate the eggs of these flies if at all they're even present. Even adult humans should also do well to use deodorants as the insects are very well attracted by bad odours or anything that comes close to "bad odours"... And this is a major way to control CORDYLOBIA infestation in humans.
I am sure you have gained a thing or two from this piece. Kindly leave a comment, a like and also do well to share so that others can learn as well.
Stay tuned for my next post also... Promises to be very educative.