CASE REPORT article
Front. Ophthalmol.
Sec. Inflammatory Eye Diseases
This article is part of the Research TopicEpidemiological Characteristics of Ocular Trauma Globally and Their Clinical ImplicationsView all 5 articles
Human Ophthalmomyiasis Caused by Oestrus ovis in Bulgaria: Case Report
Provisionally accepted
Milena Atanasova Atanasova1*
Alexander Bozhidarov Blazhev1Elka Tzvetanova Milanova2
Lidiya Plamenova Petrova1- 1Medical University - Pleven, Pleven, Bulgaria
- 2Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment “Dr. Stefan Cherkezov”, Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
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Ophthalmomyiasis is an uncommon parasitic infestation of the human eye caused by dipteran larvae, most frequently Oestrus ovis. It is rarely reported in temperate countries such as Bulgaria. We present a case of external ophthalmomyiasis in a 35-year-old urban resident with no livestock exposure, caused by O. ovis. Larvae were morphologically identified after extraction. Approximately 30 motile larvae were mechanically removed over several days. Microscopy confirmed first-instar O. ovis larvae. Treatment included systemic and topical antibiotics, anti-inflammatory agents, and eye irrigation, resulting in complete recovery. This case of ophthalmomyiasis demonstrated that infestation can occur among urban residents without direct contact with livestock. Early recognition and mechanical removal are essential to prevent ocular damage.
Keywords: Ophthalmomyiasis, Oestrus ovis, parasitic eye infestation, Bulgaria, case report, Myiasis
Received: 20 Aug 2025; Accepted: 07 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Atanasova, Blazhev, Milanova and Petrova. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Milena Atanasova Atanasova, milena.atanasova-radeva@mu-pleven.bg
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