Prevalence and Salient Morphological Features of Myiasis Causing Dipteran Flies in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

A number of dipteran fly species are found in Jeddah with public health and veterinary importance due to their association with myiasis of livestock and humans. Although several reports are available on the myiasis causing flies from different parts of Saudi Arabia very little is known available on prevalence and characterization of these flies from Jeddah Province, which include the major harbour on the Red Sea, western Saudi Arabia and acts the gateway for millions of live animals in the kingdom. Therefore to fill this knowledge gap, the objective of this work is to fill up this gap. For fly survey, the adult flies were collected by the means of Malaise & Bait traps, Yellow traps and sweeping nets from different marked locations including slaughter houses and live animals farms ( Fig.1). The total number of flies from each locality was counted and were sorted for taxonomic species identification using specific pictorial keys.In this study, ten dipteran fly species belonging to six families were identified as causing myiasis on the basis of reported cases in Saudi Arabia. The flies collected during the survey were Megaselia scelaris, Musca domestica, Fanniia canicularis, Sarcophaga haemorrhidalis (Bercaea cruentata); Parasarcophaga ruficarnis, Wohlfahrtia nuba , Chrysomya marginalis C. albicep, C. megacephala, and Oesteris ovis. Among collected flies the highest number were of Musca domestica (67.6%) and the rest were other species. Most of the species were collected from slaughter houses (50%) followed by animal farms (39%). The present study identified a number species of myiasis-causing flies of the public health and veterinary significance, which should inform wider studies on their seasonal abundance, significance and consequent implementation of preventive control measures.