9. The Antimicrobial Activity of Medicinal Maggots

Bacterial infection of wounds is a serious and growing issue and contributes to a delay in wound healing. Whilst debridement is often the primary motivation for the clinical use of maggot therapy, there is accumulating evidence that the therapy has other therapeutic properties. In particular, larvae have a significant antibacterial effect on the wound surface through the antimicrobial action of their excretions and secretions and the disruption of microbial biofilms that are common in chronic wounds. This chapter describes the principles and mechanisms that allow medicinal maggots to successfully shape and control the microbial environment of the chronic wound.