A fly (plural flies)
is any species of insect of the order Diptera, some of which can
land on food and transmit bacteria to humans. Particularly the
house-fly (Musca domestica) is common amongst humans and has caused
many diseases to spread in the past. Other flies, such as the
horse-fly (Family Tabanidae), can inflict painful bites. The larva
of a fly is commonly called a maggot. Some types of maggots found
on corpses can be of great use to forensic scientists. By their
stage of development, these maggots can be used to give an indication
of the time elapsed since death, as well as the place the organism
died. Some maggots are leaf miners. Maggots are bred commercially,
as a popular bait in angling, and a food for carnivourous pets
such as reptiles or birds.
|
|
Some maggots
which eat dead, but not living, flesh have been used medically,
being introduced into wounds to clean them. Other maggots, such
as the screwworm, eat live flesh. In the early days of medicine,
maggot infestations of wounds (myiasis) were inevitable. The wounds
that were infested tended to be less life-threatening than wounds
without the infestation, so until the development of antibiotics
it was common practice to leave the maggots. After antibiotics,
the presence of maggots became viewed as unhygienic. In recent
years, however, use of specially sanitized maggots has developed
as a treatment for various types of wounds such as leg ulcers
and pressure sores, gangrene and other bacterial infestations,
since the maggot will only eat the dead, rotting and infected
flesh and leave the living cells intact. It is especially useful
for people with weakened immune systems or blood flow that become
infected in the extremities, such as diabetics, and is particularly
effective in treating diabetic foot problems.
Above Pictures Are From The USDA
|
