What fly genus causes myiasis in sheep, and what is this condition called?

• A. Musca domestica; 'sheep bite'
• B. Lucilia; commonly called 'sheep strike'
• C. Cochliomyia hominivorax; 'sheep maggot disease'
• D. Sarcophaga carnaria; 'sheep rot'

Answer: (B)

Blowfly strike in sheep happens when certain blistering flies lay eggs on damp or soiled wool or near wounds, and their larvae (maggots) hatch and feed on tissue under the fleece. The genus Lucilia is the classic group associated with this condition, because these greenish blowflies are the common culprits delivering the maggots that cause the flesh-and-fleece infestation. The disease is widely known in veterinary contexts as flystrike or blowfly strike, and farmers often call it “sheep strike” because it strikes at sheep health and welfare. So, the genus Lucilia fits both parts of the question: the cause of the myiasis and the familiar disease name, sheep strike.

The other options don’t fit as the primary, widely recognized culprits for this specific condition. House flies can be nuisance pests but aren’t the typical agents behind blowfly strike in sheep; the screwworm fly can cause wound myiasis in certain contexts but is not the standard cause of sheep strike, and the terms listed with it aren’t the conventional name for this condition. Flesh flies can cause myiasis in some cases, but they aren’t the canonical source of sheep strike, and the common name used in practice is not “sheep rot.”