Yes, they're creepy crawly blood-suckers. And they can instill an almost primal sense of disgust and revulsion. Humphrey Bogart's character in the 1951 film The African Queen even went so far as to ...

(USA TODAY) -- Andrew Plucinski’s leeches are picky about skin. When offered the chance to bite a person who bathes in smelly soap they recoil, even when they’re hungry. Leeches prefer their humans ...

• Diana Grimmesey, MHA, RN, CWCN, Wound Care and Hyperbarics Director at MountainView Hospital Leeches and maggots have a long history in medicine. While the idea of using creepy-crawlies to treat ...

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Medicinal leeches? At first reference it might seem like a plot line for a cheesy horror movie about mad doctors, but the blood-sucking creatures have been feasting for the good of reconstructive ...

MOSCOW — They are small as physician assistants go, about 2 inches long, and slithery. They wiggle about for a bit on Elena A. Kalinicheva's back before getting down to what they do best: sucking ...

MOSCOW — They are small as physician assistants go, about 2 inches long, and slithery. They wiggle about for a bit on Elena A. Kalinicheva’s back before getting down to what they do best: sucking ...

Andrew Plucinski’s leeches are picky about skin. When offered the chance to bite a person who bathes in smelly soap, they recoil, even when they’re hungry. Leeches prefer their humans unseasoned. In ...

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Editor's Note: The video of leeches used in surgery is a bit bloody — especially after the 2-minute mark. Leeches get a bad rap — but they might not deserve it. Yes, they're creepy crawly ...