Question

Describe the different ways by which the housefly contaminates our food.

Answer 1

The different ways by which the housefly contaminates our food:

(i) Hairy body and legs: Hairy or spiny body and legs easily pick up dirt containing germs from unhygienic places such as rotten materials, infected wound or faecal matter. When these flies sit on our food, they rub their legs continuously dropping the particles of dirt onto the food, thereby contaminating it.

(ii) Pouring out saliva: When the housefly pours its saliva or regurgitates on food, foodstuffs get moistened and pathogens get deposited on them. This results in their contamination.

(iii) Excreta: While feeding on food items, houseflies may deposit their excreta on food, contaminating it.

(iv) Direct transmission of germs: In some cases, houseflies directly transmit the pathogens. In case of eye disease trachoma, pathogens are transferred from an infected person to a healthy person, when a fly settled on an infected eye of a person sits on the eyes of a healthy person.