Answer to Case 547

Answer to Parasite Case of the Week 547: Cordylobia rodhaini, also known as Lund's fly.

As noted by Bernardino, this is a 3rd instar larva, with a characteristic shape, size, irregularly-placed, weakly-pigmented cuticular spines and spiracles for this species. The more sinuous spiracles allows us to differentiate this from Cordylobia anthropophaga, the "tumbu fly" which is more commonly seen on humans. Both are found in the African subtropics.

From Old One:
Hooray for Bernardino a wiz at diagnostics
Lund’s fly no match for his skillful forensics
The folks on the blog all think he is swell
Never missing his mark, the new William Tell

You can read all about this fascinating parasite in Idzi's latest publication which is freely available HERE. An important point to note is that the adult flies of C. rodhaini and C. anthropophaga deposit their eggs on soil or clothing. Contact with the warm-blooded host then causes the larvae to hatch and penetrate the skin. This is why it is common practice in endemic areas to iron your clothes - including undergarments - after taking them off the line! This important point can be remembered from Blaine's fun poem:

In Africa, if you allow your laundry to air dry
Make sure you iron it! Wanna know why?
'cuz this diabolical dipteran lays its eggs on fomites
especially on clothes and sheets dried by sunlight
and that's how you get exposed to the tumbu fly!

Thanks again to Idzi for sharing this case with us!