Snips from the article:
Could the common house fly, Musca domestica, also play a role in spreading food poisoning bacteria such as Salmonella enteritidis to chickens?and their eggs?even before the foods get into the marketing chain?
?We decided to investigate whether infected hens could pass the infection on to flies,? says Holt, ?and whether those flies could then infect healthy birds. If so, we wanted to see how that happens and where the Salmonella bacteria appear on?and in?the flies.?
In three experiments, Holt placed chickens in individual, adjacent laying cages. Geden delivered fly pupae just 48 hours short of their emergence as flies; these were placed in an open box in the bird room. Three days later the hens were challenged with Salmonella.
?We found that simple physical contact may not be the primary method of transfer of Salmonella bacteria to different surfaces in a poultry house,? says Holt. ?But a hen?s eating of contaminated flies does seem to be the primary mechanism of transmission of Salmonella from flies to birds.?
?Though there is much more to learn about the relationship between Salmonella, flies, and poultry, this research shows that growers need to pay special attention to fly control using methods of surveillance and treatment that are already available,? says Holt
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar08/fly0308.htm
Could the common house fly, Musca domestica, also play a role in spreading food poisoning bacteria such as Salmonella enteritidis to chickens?and their eggs?even before the foods get into the marketing chain?
?We decided to investigate whether infected hens could pass the infection on to flies,? says Holt, ?and whether those flies could then infect healthy birds. If so, we wanted to see how that happens and where the Salmonella bacteria appear on?and in?the flies.?
In three experiments, Holt placed chickens in individual, adjacent laying cages. Geden delivered fly pupae just 48 hours short of their emergence as flies; these were placed in an open box in the bird room. Three days later the hens were challenged with Salmonella.
?We found that simple physical contact may not be the primary method of transfer of Salmonella bacteria to different surfaces in a poultry house,? says Holt. ?But a hen?s eating of contaminated flies does seem to be the primary mechanism of transmission of Salmonella from flies to birds.?
?Though there is much more to learn about the relationship between Salmonella, flies, and poultry, this research shows that growers need to pay special attention to fly control using methods of surveillance and treatment that are already available,? says Holt
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar08/fly0308.htm