Maggot Medicine | National Geographic

What are maggots?

• Adult flies

• Larvae of flies

• A type of worm

• A type of bacteria

What do maggots eat when used in medical treatments?

• Healthy tissue

• Live insects

• Dead flesh

• Plant material

How do maggots help clean wounds?

• They inject antibiotics into the wound.

• They eat only dead tissue and their saliva has antibacterial effects.

• They create a protective barrier over the wound.

• They stimulate new cell growth directly.

What happens to the maggots after they have fed on diseased flesh for 48 hours?

• They shrink in size.

• They grow five times their original size.

• They turn into flies.

• They die.