My 18-year-old son returned from the Amazon in Peru with what seemed to be three spider bits on the back of the head. The bumps grew bigger, more painful, and continually dripped blood and other brownish liquids. We tried everything from poltices to antibiotics to electrical current treatments.After eight weeks of this torment, our doctor realized they were Bott fly larva, and tomorrow my son has to have all three surgically removed from his head. The larva emit a painful toxin that causes unusually severe, stabbing pains. These pains nearly produced convulsions in my son. I cannot wait to see him free of these nasty critters.
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I wish all the luck, and a speedy recovery to your son.
Coyote
I echo Coyote's wishes, but the bites were from flies and not spiders. That's why it's imperative for people traveling to these areas to wear DEET if at all possible. I've seen lab pictures of the malady you describe and I know it's a rather revolting sight.
I am never ever leaving this country. I saw this on tv the other day. These things get as big around as your finger. Give me good old Alabama red-neck ticks and chiggars any day. Good luck.
Are these the same bott flies that you find their larvae inside whitetail deer nasal cavaties? I get in several deer a year that have these.Anyone else get these?
Squirrels are notorious for them, but I do get them in deer often. The ones I really hate are the ones where they imbed in the velvet antler and screw up horn growth.
if that's it what that boy's got good lord. Those larva are nasty looking and rather big. Seems like some deer are covered with them on the inside of their nose. Glad I'm not a deer and I'm glad that I live in TX where thank god not everything is bigger. LOL.
but I've seen them on a lot of jackrabbits. All I can say is, "Damn! Thats gotta hurt!" Hope his recovery is fast.
Are these the same damn flies that the state of MN brought in to control the army/tent worms? I have seen them more and more I animals..IF so then its another great move from our DNR...TOTALY GROSS.
Dont any of you ever wonder why a post like this is even IN here? Doesnt raise a red flag?
I "took apart" a Coues deer in Mexico earlier this year and about flipped when I severed the windpipe and it was full of mealworm sized larvae. Was told they were bott flys and occur in some animals in those parts. Out of the three deer I saw, only one had them. Also get into Bighorns, can get into the horn cores and actually cause the horn to detach from the core...I'm told.
Simply for the sake of conversation. these are not bott flies. More likely they are flees. There is a flee in Central, and South America. As well as other countries that the female burrows into the skin of its host. Leaving its vent exposed. It feeds on, and uses the host to incubate her eggs. the can become the size of a grape if left unattended.
The bott fly resembles a yellow jacket, with a long curling abdomen. The female deposits her eggs on the hair of the neck, chest, and legs of the host. Usually equine, and bovine hosts. when the host scratches itself using it's mouth. The eggs are ingested, And mature in the intestine.