Medical Maggots Treat As They Eat

(OrganicJar) Maggot therapy is the use of maggots, or fly larvae, to clean and promote healing in open wounds. Also known as Maggot Debridement Therapy (MDT), it is one of the safest and most effective ways to treat open wounds that are either infected or covered in dead flesh. The larvae used for maggot therapy are raised in clean fly farms, and disinfected prior to use in either humans or animals. The most common types of fly larvae used are from green flies and blow flies, although other species of flies may also be used.

The use of maggot therapy to treat wounds has been round for hundreds of years; there is even proof of it being used in ancient Mayan civilization. It was also used during Europe’s Renaissance period. Many of the most notable stories about the use of maggot therapy, however, come from times of war. The medics during the American Civil War, during which medical supplies were scarce, made great use of maggots to treat war wounds, probably saving hundreds of lives. Maggots were also used in both of the World Wars.

There are several ways that maggots facilitate the healing of wounds. The first way is to eat the necrotic, or dead, flesh, making it easier for new skin to grow. They also eat any bacteria in the wound. The secretions of maggots contain several types of antibacterial matter, which kills any bacteria the maggots have not eaten while also preventing any new bacteria from infecting the wound. Maggots also massage the wound as they move around, which also helps to encourage healing and the growth of new skin

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Source: nationalgeographic.com