Myiasis, a neglected disease: A review of clinical cases and their distribution in Colombia

Abstract

Human myiasis, primarily caused by larvae of the fly species Dermatobia hominis and Cochliomyia hominivorax (order Diptera), is a persistent public health problem in South America. In Colombia, the geographical distribution of these species is poorly understood, and clinical reports of myiasis remain scarce. Our study aimed to determine the geographic distribution of D. hominis, C. hominivorax, and myiasis cases in Colombia by reviewing bibliographic sources, including scientific and medical articles, biological collections, and clinical reports. We conducted an exhaustive review of biological and medical literature, biological collections, and clinical case records, and then created a database to quantify myiasis cases nationally and by department. Their distribution is shown in choropleth and point maps, identifying departments and municipalities with the highest number of cases. Our results provide the most comprehensive geographic distribution of myiasis to date for Colombia, with most cases reported in Antioquia (including Medellín), Cundinamarca (including Bogotá), Meta (including Villavicencio), Santander (including Bucaramanga), and to a lesser extent, Tolima and Valle del Cauca. Although the scarcity of data prevented the calculation of infection rates over time, we concluded that myiasis is endemic in Colombia. Most cases were reported in cities and departments in the country’s Andean region, where most of the population, primary health care services, and health surveillance infrastructure are concentrated.