Houseflies & Humans
A Common Nuisance and Pest: As houseflies are always found in association with humans and their activities they are a great nuisance to us. Houseflies are often found within the home, buzzing around our heads, and landing on our food. Fly populations within the home are low compared to certain economic areas such as food and waste management sites. In these areas flies are monitored and controlled with baited traps, sticky ribbons, sticky papers, or spot cards on livestock facilities. The tolerance of flies greatly depends on the circumstances. Food preparation and packing facilities, restaurants, and hospitals are considered sensitive environments where even small numbers of flies cannot be tolerated. There are many forms of management for houseflies including sanitation, traps, insecticides, integrated fly control, and biological control
Spread of Disease: Houseflies are known to carry over 100 types of diseases. Outbreaks of food poisoning, diarrhea, shigellosis, typhoid fever, dysentery, tuberculosis, cholera, and parasitic worms are commonly linked to houseflies. They can transmit diseases by feeding and by carrying pathogens on their feet and mouths. Pathogenic organisms can be picked up by flies from garbage, sewage and other sources of filth. Some of the pathogens commonly transmitted by houseflies are Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, Escherichia, Enterococcus, and Chlamydia. These organisms are then transferred from their feet, mouth parts, feces, or vomit. One of the main concerns is the transfer of pathogens from human or animal feces that may find its way to food that will be eaten uncooked by humans. When some pathogens are consumed by flies, they can stay in the mouth parts for up to several days before being transmitted. In order to help prevent the spread of disease by houseflies, it is important to make sure to sanitize surfaces, cover foods, throw away food that may attract flies, and keep flies out of the home.