Flies and Society
Flies are very important for our society. Flies are responsible for consuming decaying animals, vegetables as well as being a food source for other animals and insects. Flies are known from time to time to cause more harm than good. Some species of flies have been known to destroy crops and cause living animals harm by living as a parasite under the skin. They can carry a variety of diseases such as typhoid, anthrax, cholera and dysentery.
The Blow Fly is a helpful fly especially in the medical field. These are the flies that are selected to be placed in wounds that need to be debrieded. Debriedment is a necessary part of wound healing. It means that the dead or unhealthy tissue is removed to promote healing; the Phormia regina only eats dead tissue. While the maggots eat away the necrotic tissue they produce an endogenous antibiotic that is made up of ammonia and calcium carbonate which all promotes the healing process. The Flesh Fly on the other hand eats live tissue as the name would imply (Debridement of a Wound).
The Blow Fly is a helpful fly especially in the medical field. These are the flies that are selected to be placed in wounds that need to be debrieded. Debriedment is a necessary part of wound healing. It means that the dead or unhealthy tissue is removed to promote healing; the Phormia regina only eats dead tissue. While the maggots eat away the necrotic tissue they produce an endogenous antibiotic that is made up of ammonia and calcium carbonate which all promotes the healing process. The Flesh Fly on the other hand eats live tissue as the name would imply (Debridement of a Wound).
However not all Flies are as helpful as the Blow Fly. The Tsetse Fly is known as an African Killer. The Tsetse Fly spreads the “sleeping sickness” or Human African trypanosomiasis among humans and animals; it kills $4.5 Billion in livestock yearly. The “sleeping sickness” is found in 36 sub-Saharan African countries. The medical treatment for this disease is dangerous because of its side effects. The Tsetse Fly is a vector for the Human African trypanosomiasis as it takes blood from an infected host and then passes it on in its next meal to an uninfected person. The life cycle of the Tsetse Fly is about three weeks. The typical treatment is Melarsoprol and is most effective when given when the Human African trypanosomiasis is in the early stages before the neurological deficits emerge. However the treatment bares many side effects (Parasites-African Trypanosomiasis).
The Stable Fly is another fly that affect humans, livestock and pets. These Flies are typically found in Florida, parts of New Jersey, Tennessee and Louisiana. These flies live in soggy hay or grass piles often times emerging from the grass as unknowing people mow their lawn to be bitten by these flies. They are very persistent in biting animals and people when they are disturbed, after being bitten there typically is minimal pain or irritation however the bite is described as being very painful (Kaufman).
How are flies being controlled?
In Africa the treatment for the Human African trypanosomiasis is a pretty dangerous medication riddled with hazardous side effects. The bite from the Tsetse Fly is rather minor as long as it is not infected with the Human African trypanosomiasis. Preventing the bite is very important in Africa, prevention includes using repellents avoiding areas where there is a known population of the Tsetse Fly as well as wearing long sleeves and covering exposed areas of skin. Another prevention method is to get rid of the brush that the breed of Fly likes to breed and live in (Parasites-African Trypanosomiasis).
The Stable fly population is controlled by eliminating their breeding sites. These flies like to breed in wet grass piles or compost piles, crop residue, animal manure particularly stables and any other piles in which there is decaying matter (Kaufman).
In Africa the treatment for the Human African trypanosomiasis is a pretty dangerous medication riddled with hazardous side effects. The bite from the Tsetse Fly is rather minor as long as it is not infected with the Human African trypanosomiasis. Preventing the bite is very important in Africa, prevention includes using repellents avoiding areas where there is a known population of the Tsetse Fly as well as wearing long sleeves and covering exposed areas of skin. Another prevention method is to get rid of the brush that the breed of Fly likes to breed and live in (Parasites-African Trypanosomiasis).
The Stable fly population is controlled by eliminating their breeding sites. These flies like to breed in wet grass piles or compost piles, crop residue, animal manure particularly stables and any other piles in which there is decaying matter (Kaufman).