Biotherapy

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Biotherapy is the use of living animals for medical treatment or as an adjunct to medical diagnosis.

[edit] Overview

Biotherapy encompasses among other things maggot therapy (maggot debridement therapy [MDT], larva therapy), leech therapy (hirudotherapy), honey bee therapy (apitherapy), ichthiotherapy (fish therapy), pet therapy, sniffer dogs, seeing eye dogs, phage therapy, microbialtherapy, and helmitherapy (worm therapy)

Maggots, leeches & fish have been used to save limbs & lives. Dogs can detect cancer, assist the blind, and raise the spirits. Bee venom has been reported to help in neurological and musculoskeletal diseases.

[edit] External links

• Maggot Therapy Project web site at the University of California, Irvine, list of maggot therapy practitioners
• http://www.monarchlabs.com/ suppliers of Medical Maggots™ (disinfected Phaenicia sericata larvae), picture of Medical Maggots™ vial
• http://www.bterfoundation.org/ BioTherapeutics Education and Research Foundation

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