Maggots' saliva fight superbugs

London, Aug 6 : In a breakthrough study, researchers have found a new potential antibiotic effective in combating 12 strains of deadly MRSA- the saliva of maggots.

The compound, capable of fighting deadly strains as well as C.diff and e.coli, comes from secretions of green bottle fly larvae.

The research team from Swansea University made the discovery after noting maggots help stop infection spreading, reports The Sun.

They hope the antibiotic, named Seraticin, can be developed into a jab or ointment to prevent thousands of deaths caused by superbugs. In the study conducted with the help of mollusc, an aquatic creature showed that they contain a protein, which reacts with bacteria-killing chemicals found in the blood of sick people.

ANI