Agricultural/ Forestry Worker and Children Health Risks from Filth Flies: Exposure to Human Bacterial Diseases and Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

Completed Pilot Project

The overall goal is to determine the risk to farm and forestry workers and those living in farming communities including spouses and children of exposure to diarrheal diseases and antibiotic resistant bacteria transmitted by filth flies to food, the work place and homes.

Progress

Bacteria to farm workers in homes in Africa (samples collected and processing DNA now; almost completed); and (ii) at the potential of filth fly transmission of bacteria from animal farms into hospitals in Africa (fly samples collected, DNA processing not started yet)

Publications:

Deguenon, J.M., Travanty, N., Zhu, J. et al. Exogenous and endogenous microbiomes of wild-caught Phormia regina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) flies from a suburban farm by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Sci Rep 9, 20365 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-56733-z