Larvae found in a young woman…

Warning: Content not suitable for sensitive stomachs. What you’re about to read sounds like something out of a horror movie… but it’s completely real. Imagine feeling a small itch on your arm, ignoring it as a simple mosquito bite, and days later discovering a live fly larva growing under your skin . Although it may seem incredible, this happens more often than you think, especially in tropical areas.

This terrifying phenomenon is known as cutaneous myiasis , an infection caused by the larvae of certain species of flies, such as Dermatobia hominis , also known as the “tumbu fly” or “human skin fly.” This species, native to Central and South America, has a reproduction method that is as terrifying as it is effective.

How does a larva get into your body?

The adult fly lays its eggs on a common mosquito. When that mosquito bites a human, the eggs are activated by body heat and release a microscopic larva that penetrates the skin unnoticed by the victim. Once inside, it settles comfortably under the skin and begins feeding on human tissue.

For the first few days, you only feel mild discomfort. Then, the area begins to swell, turns red, and becomes painful to the touch. The scariest part comes later: you can see a small hole in the center , where the larva breathes and sometimes even moves. Some people have reported feeling “something alive” inside. Yes, like in a science fiction movie.
Cases that went around the world

One of the most viral cases was that of a Canadian tourist who returned from vacation in Belize with a “suspicious bite” on his arm. Upon visiting the doctor, he was speechless: there were three live maggots inside his skin. The video of the procedure to remove them was watched by millions of people, many of whom confessed they couldn’t finish watching.

Not even Chuck Norris —yes, the icon of toughness—would have been prepared for something like this. The pain, anxiety, and disgust of feeling a living parasite in your body is an experience no one wants to endure.