Housefly

*THE SILENT DISEASE VEHICLE*

They are everywhere, almost everywhere. You find them in homes, schools, offices, eateries, canteens, waste dumpsites, toilets, in bushes, as in everywhere.

That is Musca domestica, the Housefly!

The common Housefly is syanthrophic in nature i.e it occurs in all part of the world in various forms around man. They are also exophilic, entering into houses. You can't imagine the manifold relationship existing between man and the housefly.

The housefly generally has some Characteristics of which stands it out from other flies such as it's medium sized body, non-metalic grey coloured, which is divided into 3 segments, head thorax and abdomen. They are strongly attracted to moist skin, eyes, open wounds etc.

What's the Feeding Habit of Housefly?
Musca Domestica feeds on man's food and wastes, uses his building for shelter, and settles on his body and on his animals. You'll find it around waste dumps, toilets and other areas that are moist.

If you carefully look at the Housefly in it's resting position (it actually does not rest), it has the habit of shaking it's hands, legs and the body which is hairlike.

This activity is one of the most wicked thing done on the planet Earth. This is because that act drops several thousand microbs which have been picked up at various places including the toilet and the waste dump.

It has been observed and scientifically proven that houseflies, because of their dirty habits and constant association with man, are potential carriers of many disease pathogens to man. They contaminate food whenever they come in contact with with human food after it's contact with faeces and manure heaps or refuse.

It's noteworthy that they pick up germs with their mouth parts, legs and hairy body. These germs can be regurgitated on uncovered edible food.

Houseflies can mechanically transmit many diseases to man. Such diseases include bacillary dysentery, typhoid and paratyphoid fevers and cholera. Other diseases that Housefly transmit are poliomyelitis, infective hepatitis and trachoma.

To avoid these life-threatening and money-sapping and time-consuming preventable diseases, all you need to do is prevent flies from having a contact with your food or water.

If you want to stop the influx of Housefly into your home, just take up sanitation and hygiene as your lifestyle. Although our temperature favours the breeding of flies in our environment, yet we can limit their access into our homes.

Keep your food (cooked and raw) in containers that can be properly covered and ensure they are covered always. Also ensure that your thrash is properly bagged or covered in a tight-fitting lid to prevent movement of flies in and out of the refuse bin.

Whenever the source of food have been removed, their reason for coming is limited.

You can also screen all openings into the house with proper net or mesh.

And please, as much as possible, avoid eating anywhere. Don't buy food, especially fried food, from vendors who expose their food anyhow. It is dangerous.

In case you need to get rid of swarm of flies in your home, please consult a Registered and Licenced Environmental Health Officer who can use the correct method to do that for you at a reasonable cost.

Remember, they are small but they are a very powerful vehicle in disease transmission. Get rid of houseflies from your home to prevent stories that touch the heart.