For many they're a creature which makes the skin crawl. But for centuries maggots have been used to cure infections.Now researchers in Wales think secretions from maggots can be used to make injections and ointments to treat MRSA, the so-called Super Bug.[Professor Norman Ratcliffe, Swansea University]:"I think it has enormous promise because we already know these secretions in this factor kill 12 strains of MRSA, C. difficile, E. coli and a whole range of hospital pathogens and we believe this is just the beginning because this is just with maggots. There's a huge diversity of invertebrates, we have cockroaches, we have other invertebrates which live in the most unfriendly situations surrounded by bacteria and pathogens. They don't just survive, they multiply and they form the most biodiverse set of animals in the whole world."About 20 maggots are needed to make one drop of antibiotic.Scientists said more tests are needed to find a way to synthesize the compound before it can be tested on humans.Outbreaks of MRSA and related strains in Britain have alarmed the public.Between 2002 and 2006, almost 6,000 deaths in England and Wales involved MRSA.
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