Wohlfahrtiosis

Wohlfahrtiosis 

a parasitic disease of animals caused by the larvae of the larviparous Wohlfahrtia magnifica fly. Usually wohlfahrtiosis strikes sheep. It is found in countries with a warm and temperate climate (in Egypt, in the countries of Asia Minor and Middle Asia, and in the Caucasus in the USSR). Open wounds on their skin make animals vulnerable to wohlfahrtiosis, since the fly can deposit larvae in such wounds. The larvae increase the injury to the skin and destroy the underlying tissue, causing the animals great pain. The animals eat little, become emaciated, and sometimes die. Treatment and prophylaxis consist in treating the wounds with disinfectant preparations and, in cases of massive injuries, bathing the sheep in disinfectant solutions.