Definition of Rezno or Tórsalo

The Dermatobia Hominis fly, popularly known as the rezno or torsalo, lives on the skin of some warm-blooded animals, including humans. Because it can cause serious conditions, it is also known as the death fly.

Main data

As for his classification, its taxonomy is as follows: Animalia Kingdom, from the anthropoda phylum, from the insecta class, from the diptera order, from the brachycera suborder, from the family oestridae, del gender dermatobia and finally of the species dermatobia hominis, which means that it lives on the skin of humans.

It was first classified by the Swedish naturalist Carl von Linnaeus in the eighteenth century. Regarding its habitat, it lives in the southwest of Mexico, the north of Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador or Brazil.

The life cycle of the reed has the following characteristics:

1) the female captures some kind of dipteran and then parasites it,

2) it then lays about twenty eggs on the body of its victim,

3) when the carrier comes into contact with an animal, the affection of heat causes their eggs to hatch and

4) the larvae enter the skin and this circumstance causes bites or wounds, since the larvae feed on the animal's meat.

Cutaneous myiasis can affect both animals and humans

This skin infection is caused by the larvae of the reindeer or turtle. So this parasite it penetrates the tissues and leaves an entrance hole for breathing. In this process it can cause severe destruction in the body and even death.

Is disease it is endemic in tropical areas. His diagnosis it can be easily confused with other conditions, with cellulite or with a simple insect bite.

The treatment against cutaneous myiasis depends on the wounds caused and the affected area. As a general guideline, the larvae are immobilized with a chloroform treatment and are subsequently removed from the wounds. To suffocate the larvae, petroleum jelly can be applied to the skin, which facilitates its extraction.

In any case, it is important to avoid possible bacterial infections and monitor the wound healing process. Once the disease is cured, there are no significant sequelae.

Like any other pathology, the most important thing is the prevention. Thus, before traveling to tropical areas where the reed live, it is advisable to go to a vaccination center. Once at the destination, wear suitable clothing and footwear and apply insect repellent to the skin.

Photo: Fotolia - tacio philip

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