Maggot Infestation of Chronic Right Leg Wound Leading to Asymptomatic Bacteremia With Ignatzschineria larvae—A Case Report and Review

Abstract

Ignatzschineria is a genus of Gram-negative bacilli that have been isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of fly larvae of the myiasis-causing species Wohlfahrtia magnifica and Sarcophaga genus that rarely have been associated with invasive infection in humans, typically in setting of maggot-infested wounds. We report a case of an 83-year-old man with a maggot-infested right leg wound who was incidentally found to have bacteremia with Ignatzschineria species with closest match to I. larvae. The isolate was found to be susceptible to all antibiotics tested, consistent with prior case reports. The patient lacked objective findings of systemic infection, suggesting possible low virulence with this organism, but clinicians should be aware that maggot-infested patients may be harboring this bacterium in their bloodstream.