Web Desk(December 6, 2017): Flies aren’t just annoying. They can spread disease and may be far better at it than scientists previously thought.
It researchers analyzed the microbiome, or bacterial makeup, of 116 different houseflies and blowflies found across three continents. Both types of flies feed on rotting organic matter and feces, which exposes them to a wide assortment of problematic bacteria.
Some of the flies carried hundreds of different bacteria species, including ones known to be harmful to humans, the researchers found.
Legs emerged as the most common means of bacterial transmission, the study said. According to Stephan, “The legs and wings show the highest microbial diversity in the fly body, suggesting that bacteria use the flies as airborne shuttles”. 
The study found that each step a fly takes leaves behind a microbial colony track, if the new surface supports bacterial growth, Schuster noted.
Bryant added that “this may show a mechanism for pathogen transmission that has been overlooked by public health officials, and flies may contribute to the rapid transmission of pathogens in outbreak situations.”
The investigators acknowledged, however, that this transmission route might also play a useful role. For example, it could serve as a kind of early warning system for potentially troubling diseases.
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