Myiasis
/maɪˈaɪ.ə.sɪs/noun
Infestation of living human or animal tissue by the larvae of flies.
Did you know?The term was coined in the nineteenth century from Greek μυῖα, “fly,” specifically to distinguish fly-larva infestation from diseases caused by worms.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
μυῖα (myia)
“Fly”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-ίασις (-iasis)
“A pathological condition or infestation”
1840s
Scientific Latin
myiasis
“Infestation by fly larvae; a term introduced in modern medical zoology”
19th Century
English
myiasis
“Infestation of humans or animals by dipterous larvae”
Modern English
English
myiasis
“A medical condition in which fly maggots develop in living tissue”
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