So where do Australia’s medical maggots come from? Meet Dr Stephen Doggett
Maggots are wriggling their way back into mainstream medicine, with the help of this entomologist.
In a world of high-cost, cutting-edge treatments, the role of the humble medical maggot remains fascinating.
As reported this week, the TGA is finally relaxing its regulation of the fly larvae which have traditionally been put in the same therapeutic category (class 4 highest-risk biologicals) as xenotransplantation.
Below, you can read an undated version of an article we ran back in 2016 explaining where the country’s maggot workforce comes from, how they are bred, how much they cost and why they only work 48-hour shifts.
A modern-day medical treatment that has helped more than 1000 patients around Australia started in a Sydney backyard with a chunk of rotting meat and a fly.
