What are some diseases caused by houseflies?
The diseases that flies can transmit include enteric infections (such as dysen- tery, diarrhoea, typhoid, cholera and certain helminth infections), eye infections (such as trachoma and epidemic conjunctivitis) (Fig.
What can you catch from flies?
Scientists have discovered that flies carry more diseases than suspected. The house fly and the blowfly together harbour more than 600 different bacteria, according to a DNA analysis. Many are linked with human infections, including stomach bugs, blood poisoning and pneumonia.
How do flies cause infectious diseases?
Because flies eat garbage, manure, and other bacteria-laden materials, and because they spit up their stomach contents on surfaces for which humans may make frequent contact, these winged devils are capable of transmitting more than 60 different serious illnesses, including: Typhoid fever. Dysentery. Cholera.
What parasites do flies carry?
Identified species of the detected intestinal parasites transmitted by the house flies include: Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, Giardia lamblia, Hymenolepis nana and Taenia species (Figure 2).
Are flies full of germs?
They can carry more than 1 million bacteria on their bodies and can transfer these to contaminate surfaces and food. The common housefly can transmit the pathogens that cause shigellosis, typhoid fever, E. coli, and cholera.
Can you eat food that a fly has landed on?
A compound in their saliva and vomit breaks down the food so the fly is able to slurp it up. The longer a fly is on your food, the higher the chance of harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites being transferred to it. If a fly lands on your food and you swat it right away, the food will likely be safe to eat.
What happens if you eat meat with fly eggs?
What happens if I accidentally eat a fly’s egg? Nothing will happen to you if you eat a fly egg. The fly egg will die.