Hong Kong: Myiasis

Today's yery first question at Hong Kong's LegCo meeting concerned myiasis (see previous post). It's about time. Regular readers of Hong Kong Government press releases know myiasis has already become something of a persistent topic. There have been 14 reported cases this year.

Only yesterday, the Government's information department reported:

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is investigating a case of human myiasis involving a 45-year-old man who was found to have maggots in a wound.
The man was an in-patient of Princess Margaret Hospital and the maggots were found inside a wound in his scrotum on November 27. He is now in stable condition. Investigations revealed that he had no recent travel history.

Ooh-errh, mega gross, n'est-ce pas?

Furthermore, assiduous press-release readers will have noticed this case of myiasis was something of a first. Previous reports concerned maggot infestations found in the male and female body orifices of seriously geriatric patients warehoused in so-called nursing homes. This latest case was one of infestation of a scrotal wound belonging to a 45-year-old male who is laid up in a major Kowloon public hospital.

One must hope he gets better. For the rest of us, Mister Bijou suggests we all keep all our orifices and any wounds scrupulously clean . . . stay away from Princess Margaret, and should we live long enough to become ga-ga in a 'nursing home', pray we are not there overly neglected.

On the other hand, maggot therapy aka Maggot Debridement Therapy (MDT), larval therapy, larva therapy, or larvae therapy: Wikipedia