The SVM’s Tony Goldberg (Department of Pathobiological Sciences) is at it again. He recently published a paper detailing an obscure parasite that he discovered in his armpit after working in the field.
The paper is about furuncular myiasis, a skin disease caused by parasitic flies. Goldberg, who in 2013 found a new tick species in his nose, described the condition as “a pimple with a surprise inside.” The surprise is the fly’s larva, which burrows under the skin and grows. “The condition is not life-threatening,” Goldberg says, “but it’s also not fun.”
Goldberg identified his parasite as Lund’s fly, a poorly known species that occasionally afflicts travelers returning from Africa. Published in Parasitology, the paper is based on a decade of research the scientist conducted in Uganda’s Kibale National Park. Goldberg collected 21 larvae from people, including himself, and wild nonhuman primates. Surprisingly, all were Lund’s flies. The research suggests that the park could be a “hotspot” for this parasite, and that primates play a major role in the fly’s lifecycle. This discovery may finally have solved the 120-year-old mystery of where Lund’s fly resides in nature.