Musca

Musca

<p align="CENTER"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Musca</b></i></span></p> <p align="CENTER"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>(Figure 5-51)</b></span></p> &nbsp; <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-size: medium;"> The genus </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Musca</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> is most commonly represented by the house fly, </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Musca</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>domestica</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;">. The adult fly feeds on various food stuffs through the use of its sponging mouthparts (Figure 5-51), and it will just as readily feed on feces and garbage as upon food consumed by cats or their owners. The larval stage, the maggot, is commonly seen developing in garbage, feces, and other decaying animal and vegetable material. The pupal stage is found in slightly drier areas around the site of larval feeding. The feeding process of the fly, whereby there is regurgitation of recently imbibed food along with saliva that aids in the liquefaction of the surface of the material being ingested, makes the fly an excellent means of transferring microorganisms from one site to another.</span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-size: medium;"> The fact that the nematode </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Thelazia</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> has been reported from the eyes of cats would indicate that </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Musca</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> or </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Musca</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;">-like flies, e.g., </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Fannia</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> or </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Phortica</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> spp., are feeding around the eyes of cats. In this case the larval stage leaves the mouthpart of the fly while the fly is feeding on lachrymal fluids. Gardiner et al. (1983) reported on a case of visceral myiasis that they believed due to </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Musca</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>domestica</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;">; it is possible, hoever, that they wree dealing with small larvae of a Cuterebra spp.</span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>REFERENCES:</b></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-size: medium;">Gardiner CH, James VS, and Valentine BA. 1983. Visceral myiasis caused by </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Musca</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">domestica</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> in a cat. J Am Vet Med Assoc 182:68-69.</span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Figure 5-51. </b></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Musca. Head of the adult fly.</span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"></p>