Bugs Under His Skin: Howie Mandel's Rare Trauma

Canadian comedian Howie Mandel recently recounted a rare and unsettling childhood skin condition that caused him immense distress. When he was approximately six or seven years old, a tiny biting fly laid larvae beneath his skin. Mandel described the experience as a "horror film," recalling the visible movement of the larvae under his skin and the intense itching and discomfort.

His condition, identified as myiasis, is a rare occurrence where fly larvae develop in human tissue. Mandel's case was so unusual that doctors presented him at a dermatology convention in his hometown of Toronto. He described the painful treatment involving liquid nitrogen applied to the affected area to kill the larvae, a process that caused his skin to sizzle and burn.

Following the convention, his mother took over his care, using alcohol and a washcloth to open the skin and remove the remaining larvae. Mandel, who has long been open about his struggles with germaphobia and OCD, referred to the ordeal as 'traumatizing.' Myiasis is more common in subtropical climates and typically involves larvae growing under the skin, causing lumps and sometimes visible movement.