Chrysomya bezziana, also known as the Old World screwworm fly or screwworm, is an obligate parasite of mammals. Obligate parasitic flies require a host to complete their development. Named to honor the Italian entomologist Mario Bezzi, this fly is widely distributed in Asia, tropical Africa, India, and Papua New Guinea. The adult can be identified as metallic green or blue with a yellow face and the larvae are smooth, lacking any obvious body processes except on the last segment.
The fly feeds on decaying organic matter, while the fly larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded mammals as opposed to necrotic tissue that many other fly larvae feed on. Since the larvae can cause permanent tissue damage, C. bezziana has led to much public concern. Management procedures include both prevention of colonization of the fly and treatment of a current infestation. As of early 2009, little research was being conducted on the fly, as it is an unsuitable agent for maggot therapy (a medical procedure in which maggots are used to clean festering wounds) because the maggots aggressively burrow through living tissue. Recent publications of C. bezziana present medical case studies of the fly.
Read more about Chrysomya Bezziana: Geographical Distribution, Characteristics, Life Cycle, Medical Importance, Forensic Importance, Public Concern, Management and Control, Case Studies, Current Research