Oestrosis: parasitism by Oestrus ovis

Abstract Oestrus ovis (Linnaeus 1761) is a parasite of sheep and goats, in which the fly larvae are obligatory parasites of nasal and sinus cavities. Oestrosis is endemic in hot and dry regions, especially in Mediterranean areas of Europe, Africa and America. Infected animals firstly suffer from fly strike, when adult flies inject first stage larvae on their nostrils and secondly, hosts will suffer from nasal-sinus myiasis with varying clinical respiratory signs. The disturbance caused to small ruminants while grazing and the effects during development of larvae can have severe consequences on livestock production. The evolution of O. ovis depends on the weather; the parasite is very well-adapted to their environment, being able to undergo hypobiosis either inside or outside the host, according to the climatic environmental conditions and seasonality. Understanding the epidemiology and life cycle of O. ovis is crucial to design effective control measures of this myiasis. Moreover, O. ovis infestation is considered a zoonosis; it causes ophthalmomyiasis in man in many parts of the world. The present article focuses on describing the main information about this parasite gathered in the last 20 years.