housefly , musca domestica linnaeus , is a synanthropic species and lives in close relations to human . it is usually considered as a mechanical vector of diseases and is capable to transfer hundreds of pathogenic organisms to human . musca domestica is equally attracted to human food sources or animal wastes ( nmorsi et al . housefly as an opportunistic species can deposit its eggs in various types of moist , decaying organic materials such as compost , garbage , feces , fresh and decaying fruit , most human food , and even carrion . in some cases females lay their eggs on soft tissue wound(s ) of human or other animals , called myiasis . myiasis is an important parasitic infestation affecting man and domestic or wild animals in many parts of the world . it can define as  the infestation of live vertebrate animals with dipterous larvae , which , at least for a certain period , feed on the host s dead or living tissue , liquid body substances , or ingested food it may occur in any part of the world and according to the species of fly may involve obligate , facultative or in some cases accidental parasitic infestations . although m. domestica is found everywhere , but the case of facultative myiasis of this species is rare . there are just few case reports of facultative myiasis in human caused by m. domestica ( dogra and mahajan 2010 ) . however , intestinal myiasis , which is accidental myiasis or pseudomyiasis , has been reported in human ( sehgal et al . 2002 ) . human cases of pseudomyiasis occur when the larvae contaminates food or drink and passing through the alimentary canal . most cases of myiasis due to m. domestica are facultative myiasis , which may occasionally contaminate living tissue . dermal and sub - dermal myiasis is an important myiasis in animals , which are the invasion of diptera larvae to skin tissues . dermal myiasis has been reported in sheep caused by m. domestica in the middle east ( amin et al . a 70 cm of persian horned viper was presented to medical entomology lab , department of environment health , kashan university of medical sciences in summer 2010 . the snake was captured in bari karafs ( 34 02 n , 51 03 e ) near mashhad ardehal in west of kashan , isfahan province , central of iran . the area has a warm and dry weather and marginalized from the north and east to the desert . the snake had a lesion of 10 mm diameter on the dorsal surface of the posterior mid - body ( fig . ten live larvae and 4 pupae of dipterous fly were subject to the further study ( fig . the pupae were kept in a dry container in laboratory condition to emerge the adult fly . the identification key of zumpt ( 1965 ) was used to identify the larvae and adults . the larvae were creamy - white and cylindrical with broad and flattened posterior end and tapering anteriorly toward the head . the openings of posterior spiracles had sinuous slits and the peritreme of each spiracle was  d  shape with a button . the morphological study of the spiracles of fourth instar larvae and the emerged adults revealed that all were musca domestica . the wound washed and cleaned with 10% povidone - iodine and then treated with tetracycline topical ointment 3% . the snake had been weakened when it was first found and was not fed during the first week in the laboratory . in the second week after three weeks treatment and taking care of the snake , it had been recovered but a scar remained on the skin ( fig . the persian horned viper is still alive and is kept at department of environment health , kashan university of medical sciences for further study . snake myiasis has been reported rarely . although dipterous larvae in dead body of animals and snake carrions are usual , but few myiasis among live snakes has been reported . ( cutebridae ) in crotalus viridis abyssus ( garrigues 1964 ) . a case of snake myiasis caused by megaselia scalaris ( phoridae ) was described in brazil ( da silva et al . , we described a rare snake dermal myiasis due to m. domestica in central iran . musca domestica has been incriminated as a myiasis agent in many parts of the world . although the adult flies are not parasitic but they can lay their eggs on necrotic tissues or wounds . such kind of myiasis is unusual in good sanitation and clean environment ; however , some cases occurred on domestic or wild animals . persian horned viper is distributed throughout the middle east and usually lives far from human in the desserts . pseudocerastes persicus is a native species in iran and its myiasis has not seen before . in this case , the female housefly deposited her eggs in the moist and decaying snake wound and then the larvae migrated into the deep part of the wound . injuries in man and animals are the most important sources to attract gravid flies . in wild animal injuries due to fighting , wounds and the site of the ticks or other arthropods bite . moreover , rat bite injury may provide substrate for the developing larvae in snake . myiasis is a widespread and completely preventable veterinary problem in livestock or pet animals . besides , the infestations of wild animals with dipterous larvae can affect health of livestock or pet animals as well as human . we suppose this myiasis occurred because the snake previously had been wounded and the moist around the wound attracted the female fly to laying her eggs . this report reveals the new larval habitat of m. domestica that previously has not reported . in this case , pseudocerastes persicus saved successfully with washing the wound with a disinfectant and treatment with topical ointment antibiotic . however , in all cases of dermal myiasis early treatment is a key factor in treatment and prevention of the problem .
a case of myiasis due to musca domestica describes in pseudocerastes persicus for the first time . 
 the snake was found in bari karafs , kashan , iran , with a lesion on its body . 
 fourteen live larvae of m. domestica removed from its wound . 
 this is the first report of a new larval habitat of m. domestica .