Article: A REVIEW ON LEECH BREEDING

Article Category: Review articles

DOI: 10.7897/2277-4343.164140

Pages: 121-124

Author: Lakshmy C Senan *, Deepa MS

Abstract: Hirudo therapy or Leech therapy is a very popular technique of phlebotomy and bloodletting which has been popular across the world since ancient time. Leech therapy was previously widely practiced in all systems of medicine, for anything in everything concerning from head to toe, for bloodletting with limited trouble. Due to irrational exploitation of Leeches and other reasons like climatic variations and changes in food chain, leeches are getting scarcer in their population. The leech species began to face a drastic decline in their population, and this has led to their categorization as ‘near threatened’ species in IUCN red list in 2025. The waning in the leech species, and augmented price has led to a decline in leech therapy. Later in 1980 nearly 100 chemical substances in leech saliva were detected, and this has led to a return in leech therapy in the name of hirudo-therapy. Further in 2004 the US FDA (food and drug administration) approved leech therapy as a ‘Medical Device’ used as an adjuvant for reconstructive flap surgery. This has further increased the demand of leech therapy. Along with the extensive research on, application of leeches in newer and newer health conditions, we shall also find means to replenish this natural resource, for sustainable development. Various methods of leech breeding have been adopted and practiced globally. This paper summarizes all those techniques to an easily adoptable pattern.

Keyword: Hirudo therapy, leech, leech- breeding, jalauka