Prevalence of traumatic myiasis in Hungary: a questionnaire survey of veterinarians

Veterinarians in Hungary were asked to complete a questionnaire on traumatic myiasis; of the 664 veterinarians contacted, 247 replied (37.2 per cent) and of these 209 (84.6 per cent) reported myiasis to be a problem among the livestock they treated. Infestation levels of >10 per cent of animals were reported in sheep, cattle and horses. The myiasis season lasted from March to November with most cases reported in July and August. Significantly more respondents reported that fly larvae were present deep in wounds rather than superficially, consistent with infestations due to the obligate parasite Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). Frequent inspections and the treatment of infested animals were reported by 64.1 per cent of respondents as contributing to the economic impact of traumatic myiasis, and approximately half of the respondents (51.4 per cent) reported that inspections and treatments were carried out at least weekly during the summer. The most common form of treatment was the manual removal of larvae followed by topical application of insecticides, particularly organophosphates. More than half of the respondents (56.6 per cent) reported that there had been no change in the importance of myiasis over the last five to 10 years, but of those who reported a change, more reported an increase (28.3 per cent) than a decrease (15.2 per cent).