Table of contents:
- What are the consequences if you accidentally eat maggots?
- 1. Myiasis
- 2. Poisoning
- 3. Allergic reactions
Maggots are identical to small, soft-bodied animals without legs, which at first glance look like worms. Normally, maggots often appear in trash cans, dirty and damp areas, or on the bodies of living things that have died. However, it is not uncommon for maggots to appear in food that is not properly processed or which has gone bad. What do you think, if you accidentally eat the maggots in this food?
What are the consequences if you accidentally eat maggots?
Even imagining and hearing the name of maggot might disgust you, especially if you eat it without realizing it. Then, what happens if you eat the maggots in your food? Will these animals reproduce and eat away at the organs of the body? Find out below.
1. Myiasis
Myiasis is an infection that occurs when maggots gnaw and eat the living tissue of animals or humans. Maggots that are eaten can live and develop in any part of the body, be it organs or body tissues.
The greater the number of maggots in the body, the more internal organs will be infected. Most cases of myiasis usually occur under the skin tissue. However, it does not rule out that maggots can also live in the stomach, intestines, and mouth that are not properly maintained.
An infection that has worsened can cause serious damage to the body's tissues and organs, requiring immediate medical attention.
2. Poisoning
Just like eating foods that are not kept clean, eating maggots is also at risk of causing poisoning. This is because maggots usually live in food that is not clean or even rotting so it is no longer safe to eat.
The cause of poisoning is not solely from maggots. Bacterial contamination (C. botulinum or C. perfringens) contained in these foods can make the nutritional content disappear and become unhygienic to eat. As a result, you may experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and stomach pain as signs that you have food poisoning.
3. Allergic reactions
Eating maggots can cause allergies in some people. Never mind eating them, maybe even a little contact with maggots can easily cause these allergic symptoms to appear.
This fact was confirmed by dr. William Sears, a pediatrician and author of the book The Portable Pediatrician, argues that allergies can appear immediately even though the contact that occurs with maggots is very small.
Allergy symptoms that can appear afterward include breathing problems, rash or redness of the skin, an itching sensation in the mouth, stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, and other allergy symptoms.
