Do Flies Help Open Wounds?
WouterIf you have ever wondered whether flies help open wounds, you’re not alone. It is estimated that 177 million people suffer from wounds each year. These can be surgical, traumatic, or chronic. Flies may help open wounds by blocking the development of cells that are involved in replication, chromosome structure, or cell growth.
Fly larvae can infest open wounds, such as those on the face, nose, eyes, and mucous membrane. Some flies will lay their eggs on open wounds and nearby objects, and they can cause extensive damage. Certain species of flies will lay their eggs directly on the skin, while others will attach eggs to other flies, ticks, or mosquitoes. In such cases, patients may experience an itchy, boiling sensation.
These flies are known as myiasis-causing flies, because their larvae feed on dead tissue. They crawl around the wound in search of rotting tissue. They have rough spines on their bodies, which rake tissue as they crawl. This method of healing is less painful than a scalpel and is far more precise than a scab.
In veterinary medicine, flies are used to treat wounds in order to promote the growth of healthy granulation tissue. Maggot-therapy is an effective treatment for chronic wounds, as the maggots can remove dead tissue and bacteria. However, maggot-therapy is less commonly used in human medicine. However, growing concern about antibiotic resistance suggests that maggot therapy is worth further consideration.
