Can You Eat Food Touched by Flies?

A fly can carry bacteria and viruses that can make you sick. If a fly land on food, these germs can get caught in its hair and legs and be transferred to you in a matter of seconds. Fly droppings also contain bacteria that can cause dysentery, cholera, or typhoid. It’s therefore important to keep food away from flies as much as possible.

Flies can also carry Shigella disease, which can cause diarrhea, fever, and stomach pain. Other diseases can be spread by flies, but you’re unlikely to get sick from them if you don’t eat any food touched by them. To minimize your risk, make sure that your kitchen is sanitized.

The larvae of fruit flies feed on rotting food. Maggots, can cause intestinal problems in some people. These symptoms range from mild to severe, and can last for several days. It’s important to wash off food contaminated by fruit flies, as these flies can spread pathogens to food.

While pesticides are effective at controlling the fly population, flies can still transfer germs if the insects come into contact with food. In first world countries, flies may not be carrying any serious disease, but flies from third world countries can carry dangerous germs.