Sterilization of Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Eggs for Maggot Debridement Therapy

Abstract

Maggot debridement therapy (MDT) is a therapy with the medical use of sterile fly larvae of certain species, particularly those within the Calliphoridae family including green bottle fly, Lucilia sericata (Meigan, Diptera: Calliphoridae), for treating chronically infected wounds and ulcers. Lucilia sericata flies were maintained under insectary conditions, and the eggs were sterilized using three treatments: hydrogen peroxide solutions, used as a hand disinfectant (Treatment 1-T1), hydrogen peroxide, surface disinfectant (Treatment 2-T2), and SaniHigene (Treatment 3-T3) and the control (without treatment). All three treatment caused the complete sterilization of eggs, and no bacterial colonies were found on the blood agar culture. The egg hatching rate after 72 h was much higher than after 24 h. Egg mortality in hydrogen peroxide solutions, T1 and T2, was 3-4% and less than in solution T3 (13%). Owing to less mortality and more sterility of the eggs, the aforementioned solutions are suggested to be appropriate for sterility in maggot therapy.

Keywords: Lucilia sericata; maggot therapy; sterilization.