Chrysomya megacephalaWIKIMEDIA, RHITAMVAR RAYResearchers have undertaken a massive sequencing effort to analyze the whole genomes of 116 houseflies (Musca domestica) and blowflies (Chrysomya megacephala)—plus all their resident microbes. These metagenomes, along with laboratory experiments, point to flies’ ability to pick up bacteria on their legs and deposit their microbial passengers elsewhere, revealing the potential for flies to transfer potentially pathogenic bacteria.
“We believe 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,” coauthor Donald Bryant of Penn State University tells BBC News. “It will really make you think twice about eating that potato salad that's been sitting out at your next picnic.”
The insects were captured from various sites around the world. The most-common bacterial phyla represented among the flies’ microbiomes were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes—similar to what has been observed in other insect microbiomes, the researchers reported in Scientific Reports last week (November 24).
The team also broke down the blowfly microbiome by host body part, namely, head, thorax, abdomen, and leg plus wing. ...
