'Fly boy' continues to suffer as doctors struggle


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Kolkata, June 24 (IANS) A 13-year-old boy whose bizarre ailment has a fly-like insect emerging out of him is far from being cured as doctors struggle to detect the source of the parasite.

The fully-grown flies, as doctors described the parasites, have been emerging out of Chandan Goswami's genitals and flying off for more than two weeks now.

Chandan, now receiving treatment at a state-run hospital in West Bengal's Burdwan district, is said to be suffering from a condition called myiasis, a disease seen mostly in Central and Latin America.

In myiasis, the larvae of a type of fly invade a human or animal body, dead or alive. The deposited eggs can then enter the body through pores, the mucous membrane or even the mouth. The hatched larvae then emerge out the host's skin and pupate.

However, in Chandan's case, whole flies complete with wings are emerging out of his body and flying off.

"This is very, very rare. We are trying to find out how the fly entered the boy's body," says Sudhansu Pan, the surgeon attending Chandan.

Doctors carried out a cystoscopy to clear the boy's urinary tract, but the treatment has failed because two more flies emerged out of his penis on Monday.

Doctors admitted they have not been able to identify where the parasite deposit lay inside Chandan's body.

Health authorities have formed a medical board of seven doctors to treat Chandan. Doctors were also "coordinating" with physicians abroad who have experience in dealing with myiasis.

In myiasis, the maggots usually are found underneath the skin and are removed by minor surgery. But whole flies emerging out of a human body is rare, doctors said.

Chandan told doctors he first felt pain in his abdomen almost a month ago. And then he saw the flies intermittently coming out of his penis.

He told his parents, but they didn't initially believe him. Earlier this month, they saw the strange occurrence and took their son to Burdwan hospital, where doctors too were stunned to see the rare case.

Já.