OPHTHALMOMYIASIS IN KUWAIT - 1ST REPORT OF INFECTIONS DUE TO THE LARVAE OF ESTRUS-OVIS BEFORE AND AFTER THE GULF CONFLICT

We report for the first time four cases of ophthalmomyiasis due to the larvae of Oestrus ovis in Kuwait, before and after Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The larvae were easily removed under local an aesthetic. The symptom complex of acute foreign body sensation, irrita tion, redness, lacrimation and photophobia resolved rapidly. Ophthalmi c antibiotic and corticosteroid drops were also instilled and recovery was uneventful. The ophthalmomyiasis may not always be associated wit h contact with sheep-rearing per se. Medical personnel should therefor e be aware that in cases of what might appear initially as acute, non- specific catarrhal conjunctivitis, patients with the persistent sympto m complex should be re-examined to exclude ophthalmomyiasis due to the larvae of O. ovis in endemic areas.