Flies, attracted by food, do not hesitate to land on well-filled plates. They can put something unsavory there.
During a meal, it is not uncommon for a fly to wander around your plate, buzzing near the food. Although it may seem harmless compared to a wasp for example, you should be wary of it. Because flies can leave marks in your dish. These insects can even vomit there! Flies regurgitate a microscopic liquid in order to decompose solid matter before being able to absorb it. They are unable to chew, their mouth functioning more like a straw.
This vomit can be harmful. It can contain pathogens from their previous meal, flies finding food everywhere, whether on dead animals, on decomposing waste, in sewers… They store everything they find in their crop , where there are few enzymes or microbial agents.
This is how they risk bringing back bacteria such as Campylobacter, Escherichia coli or Salmonella, but also parasites or viruses, as explained by one study published in Microorganisms. On its body alone, the fly can carry millions of bacteria.
Just because a fly regurgitates on your plate doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get sick. Only a “small fraction” of the bacteria carried can cause illness and this also depends on the dose. However, care must be taken, especially if the food that has been in contact with the insect’s release is not eaten for a while.
“Learning all this is quite disgusting, but you should know that if flies really transmitted high doses of these pathogens, there would be more sick people,” reassures Professor Lyric Bartholomay, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as reports it The Washington Post.
Experts still recommend monitoring the number of flies in your home. You can limit the invasion by using mosquito nets when doors or windows are open. You also need to take out your trash and all the waste that is likely to attract them. It is also recommended to cover uneaten food. Conversely, you should not overreact and throw away any food that has been in contact with a fly for only a few seconds.