Do Flies Really Carry Diseases?
WouterIn recent years, researchers have been testing whether flies carry diseases. They have discovered that flies do carry a variety of bacteria and other pathogens. Researchers collected samples from three continents and sequenced the flies’ DNA. They found that these insects carried Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that can cause stomach ulcers in humans.
Flies feed on organic matter, such as decaying meat, so they are often attracted to dead animals and scraps of meat. They are dark in color and have checkerboard patterns on their abdomen. Adult flies live about a month and lay hundreds of eggs. The larvae feed on rotting waste, which can contain pathogens and parasites.
Houseflies are the most common fly pests. They can carry over 65 different diseases and are a nuisance. Some of these diseases include diarrhoea, skin infections, and even foodborne pathogens. Flies can also be a threat to livestock and poultry.
Although studies involving wild flies have shown that flies carry a wide variety of pathogens, many of these viruses have not been isolated in a laboratory setting. Most of the viruses carried by house flies are veterinary in nature. They include Senecavirus A, which causes blue-ear pig disease in pigs. Other viruses carried by flies include avian influenza and Newcastle disease virus.
Flies also transmit many types of bacterial diseases. The larva of one species, Trvpanosoma cruzi, infects humans. The larvae feed on muscle cells and reproduce in these tissues, unlike the malaria parasites which invade blood cells. They can also carry infections in the intestines and urogenital systems.
