Characteristics of the house fly:
Is a medium size fly about 1cm in length,greyish colour.The head carries:2 big compound eyes(close in male,apart in female)and 3 simple eyes in between;2 antennae,mouth parts adapted for sucking.
The life cycle:
Has a complete metamorphosis,the cycle takes one week.female deposits eggs in batches(50-100 at a time0 on organic decayed matter,garbage.The eggs are banana shaped with 2 longitudinal riges,creamy withe in colour,1 mm in length and hatches in 10 hours.
Habits:
-live in contacts with man
-active in daytime and rest at night(corners of rooms,ceilling)
-prevalent all the year round in tropics while in temperate zones the number falls strongly or may even dissapear in cold weather.
-feed usually on liquid or semi-liquid substances beside solid material which has been softened by saliva or vomit.
The importance role of house fly in transmitting diseases to man is due to:
-their habits of standing and feeding on human excretions and human food,
-their high intake of food with constant vomiting and deposition of faeces.
MEDICAL IMPORTANCE:
Transmission of diseases:
-bacterial diseases:enteric fevers,cholera,bacillary dysentery,wound infection.
-viral diseases:poliomyelitis,hepatitis,tranchoma.
-parasitic diseases.
The mechanism of transmission;mechanical transmismission along the mouth parts,hairs covering the body and legs and faeces.
Control:
-screening of windows and doors
-covering the food
-fly paper,traps and mechanical knocking down
-insectocides
-proper disposal of garbage
-sanitary disposal of excreta
-insecticides specially for heaps of manure,garbage,animal stables
-health education.
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