The immunology of myiasis: parasite survival and host defense strategies

Infestations by dipterous larvae that feed on dead or living vertebrate tissues for a variable period are known as myiases; these infestations reduce host physiological functions, destroy host tissues and cause significant economic losses to livestock worldwide. Recent advances in understanding the specific and nonspecific immune responses of hosts to infestation by myiasis-causing larvae and the immunological strategies evolved by larvae against the host are reviewed here. The practical implications of immunological knowledge for diagnostic and vaccination strategies are also discussed, with a view to developing environmentally sustainable control methods to be used as an alternative to chemical treatments.