How Do Flies Cause Diarrhea?
WouterIt’s not clear exactly how flies can cause diarrhea. However, some studies have shown that their presence increases the risk. This may be related to the fact that flies are known to carry enteric pathogens. The prevalence of flies in the home can also increase a person’s risk of diarrhea.
Insecticide spraying can reduce the risk of diarrhoea, but it is not clear whether it can prevent diarrhea. Some individual studies have reported reduced diarrhoea in children when fly population was controlled. However, there are many factors that need to be considered before fly control can be considered an effective solution.
Improved sanitation is essential for preventing contact between flies and diarrhea-causing organisms in human faeces. Efforts to increase the provision of proper latrines have been linked to reduced diarrhoea. Pit latrines may attract flies because of their smell, but they have ventilation mechanisms that prevent them from coming into the latrine and becoming infected with human faeces.
While flies do not directly cause diarrhea, their droppings can transmit a pathogen from contaminated food to humans. However, the amount of pathogen transmitted by flies is likely to be small. More worrying is the amount of fly vomit that can spread the disease.
