A team led by Dr. Andrew Boulton from the University of Manchester (UK) recently published an article in Diabetes Care demonstrating the effective treatment of MRSA in diabetic foot ulcers. All but one of the 13 patients enrolled were cured within 3 weeks with only 2 to 8 maggot therapy treatments. The maggots feed on the dead tissue and the drug-resistant bacteria. Traditional therapy can take up 28 weeks to cure patients with similar conditions.


Reference:

Frank L. Bowling, DPM, Eleanna V. Salgami, Andrew J.M. Boulton. Larval Therapy: A Novel Treatment in Eliminating Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus From Diabetic Foot Ulcers Diabetes Care, 2007. 30:370-371.

Abstract:
Overuse of antibiotics and the selection of broad- rather than narrow-spectrum agents have contributed to the high prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization in diabetic foot wounds. Consequently, MRSA is now an endemic in both the community and hospital environments. We previously highlighted the problem of MRSA colonization in our diabetic foot clinic (40% of S. aureus isolates were MRSA). A follow-up study demonstrated that the number of foot wounds from which MRSA was isolated doubled in a 3-year period. Although terms such as critical colonization are not clearly defined, the risk of MRSA infection and bacteremia in patients with colonized ulcers is recognized. Furthermore, there is evidence that MRSA colonization of chronic ulcers is associated with delayed healing times. Strategies to eliminate MRSA from colonized wounds are therefore essential and should include the use of simple, low-cost, effective treatments.

Larval therapy is suggested to successfully remove sloughy necrotic tissue from ulcers and to facilitate healing. We hypothesized that larval therapy would eradicate MRSA colonization . . .

Kind of gross, but awesome results! I've wondered where we are going to get the next generation of treatments against MDR bacteria. Looking to the past may be the answer...