Warning: Use insect repelent

[tximprov]

SO this is really a no brainer. And I did use insect repelent. I just did not use it on my head. This also isnt intended to scare people or discourage people from cruising to central america ie. Roatan and Belize. They are amzing ports and i have another cruise booked for this itenerary.

 

This post is a little gross so beware. dont read before lunch.

 

This is intended to inform so that if it happens to you, you dont have to go through what I have gone through.

 

30 Sep 12 we departed for Roatan, belize and cozumel. LOVED IT.....had a blast. But I brought back a souviner I didnt know about.

 

About a week after I got back I notices two bumps on the back of my head. I went to get a haircut and mentioned it to my stylist. He said it looked like ingrown hairs. He related he had also gotten them after scuba diving. Seemed plausible and I had also had this happen before.

 

Fast forward a month. The bumps were still there, and blood and puss were seaping from them. As much as I tried to "pop" them, doctor them with anti biotic ointment ect...it didnt work. ANd I was experiencing Excruciating pain from time to time in my head. Felt like an ice pick stabbing me. I joked that I got a parasite cave tubing in belize and it was growing inside me....

 

I went to the Dr who looked at the bumps and thought the same thing. Ingrown hairs that got infected. After all the appearence of a boil on your scalp would leave you to beleive that. He told me to use hot compress and it would bring the infection to the skin surface and "pop". After a week and a half, and waking up in the middle of the night with the stabbing pain, I made another appointment yesterday. He perscribed me anit biotics and refered me to the Dermotologist next door....The Derm Dr, was already closed for the day. So I had my Rx filled and was home on the computor. Doing what every kid does when hes not supposed to, I was picking at the bumps. It felt like one bump had scabbed over. I thought I would break the scab and try to squeeze some puss out....I got a tissue and started pulling the scab which felt as if it had dried into some of my hair. I pulled and it broke loose. I pulled out what looked like a fibery rubbery white substance. Nice I thought to myself...Im pulling out the infection that had compacted. I felt around the bump to discover more of that fiber hanging from the bump. I got another tissue and pulled. It brok loose and I looked and saw a worm like creature. I just pulled this from my scalp. I just about freaked out.

I got online and googled human scalp worms and found the images. I saw one that looked like my new friend. Opened the page and found it.

 

The Human Botfly Larvae. The Botfly native of central and south America, does not bite, but it places its eggs (how I dont know) on mesquitos, ticks and other flies. When the bite you, the eggs go into your flesh. In my case my scalp. Your body heat hatches the eggs and the maggots begin fedding on your blood and tissue. Leaving a small hole to breath from. Left alone, the article continues, the larvae will grown about 6-8 weeks and when ready exit your flesh through their breathing hole, to cacoon and become a Botfly. Now at least these maggots are conciderate. They secrete and anit biotic like secretion that keeps the area from getting infected. The only way to remove them is surgically. my method could leave some behind and cause an infection. As I had not left mine alone and it was to late to go back to the Dr. And calling a good friend who is a nurse, I waited till this morning and got the Drs appointment and had one more surgically removed and the left overs cleaned out and my scalp stitched up.

 

My point of this whole post is :

1. Use good insect repelent. and use it everywhere you can.

2. If you come back from a cruise and find these bumps, this is a posibility. My Dr had no idea. The dermotologist office thought "Yeah right" when I wrote on the reason for visit that I had human botfly larvae in my scalp. But after cutting me open, the Dr said "Yep..there it is."

 

Lastly. do not let this keep you from going to these amzing places and taking part in some awsome excursions. As I said, Im going back next year. Ive been around the world and this is the first time anything like this has ever happened. Im from North Texas where west nile this year was really really bad, and I made it fine. This was a freak occurance as far as Im concerned. Just beware and educated.

[rangerdog]

OH MY :eek: Glad you are ok and thanks for the suggestion/warning of insect repellant.

[elgato2]

Wow..thanks for the info...we are going to both places next week...have been many times before..agree that's a freak occurrance ..but..better to be safe than sorry!

And I agree with OP...will never keep me from going to wonderful places around the world.

Glad you posted this..cause frankly..in all the lists I've made in my head..bug repellant was not on any of them..guess I've become complacent!

[wolfganghowell]

I think it's because you are a really gross nasty unsanitary person.

 

LOL - RELAX PEOPLE - I know HIM and he made me listen to him tell the entire gross story today! I've told him I'm getting a restraining order so he never comes near me again. :D :D

 

This really is a freak occurrence but it's a good reminder to be cautious in the jungle areas especially when ziplining. He and I both agree that is the most likely place this happened. Good thing we don't have things like this happen on Royal Caribbean. :eek: AGAIN IT'S A JOKE! I can hear HIM laughing right now! :) Safe - and healthy travels to all!

[tximprov]

The passengers on RC are to boring for maggots to feed on.....:D Just glad they are gone....

 

 

 

I think it's because you are a really gross nasty unsanitary person.

 

LOL - RELAX PEOPLE - I know HIM and he made me listen to him tell the entire gross story today! I've told him I'm getting a restraining order so he never comes near me again. :D :D

 

This really is a freak occurrence but it's a good reminder to be cautious in the jungle areas especially when ziplining. He and I both agree that is the most likely place this happened. Good thing we don't have things like this happen on Royal Caribbean. :eek: AGAIN IT'S A JOKE! I can hear HIM laughing right now! :) Safe - and healthy travels to all!

[cruisegal58]

You can cut off the 02 supply to the maggot too. Plop a gob of vasoline over it, ,suffocate it, then can be removed with tweezers. The maggot has spikes (lack of words) the point downward, when they are being pulled up and out, the "spikes" grab hold of tissue.

 

I don't know how the Bot fly does it either, but it lays its eggs on the underside of the mosquito, when we are bitten, the eggs are released or fall off onto our skin. Nasty critters.

I have the OFF wipes, think I will get spray to go along with the wipes for my next visit in Jan.

On the Costa Maya thread, pax speak of the FLIES being everywhere..don't know which type of fly but black ones are mentioned. enuff for me!

 

I remember a show a few yrs ago, people used a raw steak to coax the maggot out of the skin...it worked.

 

Cindy

[Almost Packed]

Thanks for the info and warning! Glad you are on the mend!

[beans79]

OMG! :eek: I always bring bug spray with me when ever I travel some where warm. Bugs love my sweet blood. Last cruise I forgot it, but after reading this I will not forget it! I will be on those islands in April!

 

Glad you got it taken care of. I would have freaked out if it were me!

[lego7191]

OMG.

I KNEW I should not have read this thread. ack! :eek:

[tximprov]

Yes vasoline and the steak remedy were talked about in the article I read about the larvae. But I wanted them GONE.....

 

I too used repellent, just didnt think of my scalp....I will do a little research for some kind of natural repellent to wash my hair with. are put on my head next time.

[bonnys]

(...Just back from tossing my cookies...) That would have freaked me out! As in passed out, take me to the ER, and medicate me now...FREAK OUT. :eek: More power to you OP for handling it like you did.

[OneLove2012]

OH My! :eek: I really wish I hadn't googled that! LOL

 

On the other hand, I absolutely loved our W.Carib cruise on the Valor. Seeing Roatan, and meeting some of the people from there is on my short list of life's greatest experiences (thus far).

 

I dont' typically use bug spray. You bet I will now though, thanks for the warning!

[SadieN]

Anybody remember a TV show called something like "1,000 wierd things found in the Human Body".

 

There was a Brtish gal that brought home the same souviner from Central America.

[jellzbellz]

I wish I hadn't googled that.

:o

[Tbay-eh]

Any body else have an itchy head. God I just felt a tingle and wonder if there is something boring in there. EEEWWWWW

[riclop]

Thanks for the heads up, hope you are OK.

[Zoey]

OMG!!!! I'm going on the western Caribbean route on Legend in 12 days (December 10th). I have an auto-immune condition and try not to use a lot of chemicals around my body. Have shore excursions planned in Belize, Roatan, Cozumel, and Grand Cayman. ANY suggestions of something safe, or semi-safe, that I can put on my scalp? The last thing I need right now are maggots in my poor brain :eek:

[Rudyard]

Any body else have an itchy head. God I just felt a tingle and wonder if there is something boring in there. EEEWWWWW

 

Same here! Why couldn't the OP have started a tipping thread instead ;)

[I'manewbie]

thx for sharing your experience. I think that because we are traveling on board with so much comfort that we forget that the ports that we visit have different dangers than what we are accustomed to. My 22 yo neighbor went on the Freedom at the end of October. About a week after her return she started feeling a bit under the weather. Two weeks ago she felt so bad her mother took her to the ER. They diagnosed a bad flu and sent her home. 24 hours later she was having trouble breathing so they went back to the ER. While there she coughed up copious amounts of blood. She was admitted and so began over a week of hellish testing to find out what was wrong. She had a spinal tap that was negative. By the next night she was in ICU on a respirator. A day later she was helicoptered to a major medical center an hour away. We truly were frightened that she wasn't going to survive. Seven days after being admitted, they finally identified the bacteria Leptospirosis. The doctors think she may have gotten it when she went on an excursion in grand cayman - swimming with turtles. Once they identified the bacteria, they could give the correct antibiotic and within 2 days she was off the respirator and even the oxygen. The good news is she came home late last night. She has a long road before she's fully healed, but the worse is over. Thank God!

[martinchem]

Unreal!

[aimee0715]

OMG! I always take insect repellent with us and then don't use it. That will not happen again! I want to google the images, but I don't think I would ever be able to get the sight of that out of my head. Do we only have to worry about this in Central America?

[DonnaK]

OMG...what a story! Glad you are on the road to recovery now.

[Mom2B&Z]

Wow OP, good for you to make it through with such a calm manner!

We did this itinerary in January, and iirc, our travel medicine doctor suggested wearing a hat sprayed with insect repellent, for a variety of reasons.

[NoobCruise]

Thanks so much for posting! I'm hoping to take our kids (22 and 25) on this itinerary next year. It kinda freaked me out at first, but hey, we have to worry about West Nile Virus, Lyme disease, and rattle snakes right here in my backyard. I guess it's not so different. I'll be sure the DEETs is applied liberally and thoroughly!

[Hlitner]

WOW! Thanks for sharing (really). Sometimes one has to be lucky (or in your case a bit unlucky). My Nephew picked up a nasty parasite in Mexico that is sometimes found inside port. It went to his brain where it multiplied and caused lesions. He discoverd this problem when he collapsed with grand mal seizures. The cysts (created by the parasite) showed-up on a CAT scan and fortunately this type parasite is self-limiting so there will be no further damage. But he is now seizure prone and must stay on powerful anti-seizure drugs for the rest of his life. Luck is an important part of life.

 

Hank