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), fish therapy (ichthiotherapy), pet therapy, detection dogs, medical response dogs, phage therapy, and helminthic therapy (worm therapy)

Maggots, leeches & fish have been used to save limbs & lives. Dogs can detect cancer[1], alert to medical problems, and raise the spirits. Bee venom has been reported to help in neurological and musculoskeletal diseases.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Michael McCulloch, Tadeusz Jezierski, Michael Broffman, Alan Hubbard, Kirk Turner, and Teresa Janecki. Diagnostic Accuracy of Canine Scent Detection in Early- and Late-Stage Lung and Breast Cancers. Integrative Cancer Therapies 2006; 5(1), 30-9.

[edit] External links