A new study published in Nature has shown that houseflies and blowflies carry many more types of pathogenic bacteria than previously thought. That means if a housefly lands on your food at a picnic, don't just brush it off. Throw the food away. These bacteria are not only unsafe from a food poisoning perspective, but one found on the flies, Helicobacter pylori, can cause peptic ulcers, increasing the risk of stomach cancer and a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. One of the study's authors, Dr. Donald Bryant from Pennsylvania State University said, "We believe that the study 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." These insects breed in … [Read more...]