# Is it really possible to get parasites from maggot cheese?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-possible-to-get-parasites-from-maggot-cheese/396132>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 16, 2007, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-possible-to-get-parasites-from-maggot-cheese/396132 "2007-03-16T02:23:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-possible-to-get-parasites-from-maggot-cheese/396132/1 "2007-03-16T02:23:03Z")

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Salutations,  
Introducing _casu marzu_, otherwise known as maggot cheese. A Sardinian delicacy, this cheese is fermented with the help of maggots. At the time of consumption, it is partially decomposed.

Here is a link from Wiki: [maggot cheese](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casu_Marzu) .

This the part my question revolves around:

> [@](#):
>
> Risk of enteric myiasis: intestinal larval infection. Piophila casei larvae can pass through the stomach alive (human stomach acids do not usually kill them) and take up residency for some period of time in the intestines, where they can cause serious lesions as they attempt to bore through the intestinal walls. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, and bloody diarrhea.

Wikipedia is not exactly trusted as being an avatar of Truth, so, my question to you dopers is: can a person really become direly ill from eating this cheese? Can these maggots really survive in a human stomach and then proceed to cause those symptoms?

Nothing like bloody diarrhea to discourage one from a culinary adventure.  
Best wishes,  
Auto

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**Author:** ![daffyduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ec9cab/32.png) [@daffyduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daffyduck)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-possible-to-get-parasites-from-maggot-cheese/396132/2 "2007-03-16T03:48:00Z")

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_Can these maggots really survive in a human stomach and then proceed to cause those symptoms?_

[Yes](http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00000503.htm)

Not the same species, but it indicates that the condition happens.