The widespread distribution of Megaselia scalaris makes this paper by my friend, colleague, and firefly expert, Lynn Faust, of concern everywhere. In a harrowing story about myiasis, she tells of the difficulty in getting the medical community to accept what was to her, obvious. Because of her work on phorid flies attacking fireflies, she recognized the situation and became determined to not allow others to go through what this family had to go through, dealing with an elderly relative. Here is a link to the paper, entitled “Phorids, Not Gnats: Ivermectin Treatment of Scuttle Fly Myiasis in a Tennessee Nursing Home Resident – A Case Report“
I work as a pathologist in a safety net hospital in California and I have seen this type of myiasis once, so far. Unfortunately, it probably often goes undiagnosed.
Ken, thanks for commenting. It might be more common in humid, warmer areas than in CA.