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POLIOMYELITIS

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Non-biting flies that frequent dwellings, such as Musca domestica, have been incriminated in the spread of Poliomyelitis. The virus has been isolated from different species of Diptera and experimental transmission to monkeys succeeded. Experiments of exposing food, such as bananas, to flies in and about houses where polio was present became infected and produced polio to chimpanzees.

Given the associations of flies with polio it is certainly advisable to remain isolated from suspect Diptera carriers of the disease, especially during local outbreaks of the virus. See: Bang & Glaser (1943), Paul et al (1941), Sabin & Ward (1941), Toomey et al. (1941), Ward et al. (1945).

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Key References: <medvet.ref.htm> <Hexapoda>

Bang, F. B. & R. W. Glaser. 1943. The persistence of poliomyelitis virus in flies. Amer. J. Hyg. 37: 320-24.

Legner, E. F. 1995. Biological control of Diptera of medical and veterinary importance. J. Vector Ecology 20(1): 59_120.

Legner, E. F. 2000. Biological control of aquatic Diptera. p. 847_870. Contributions to a Manual of Palaearctic Diptera, Vol. 1,

Science Herald, Budapest. 978 p.

Matheson, R. 1950. Medical Entomology. Comstock Publ. Co, Inc. 610 p.

Paul, J. R. et al. 1941. The detection of poliomyelitis virus in flies. Science 94: 395-96.

Sabin, A. R. & R. Ward. 1942. Insects and epidemiology of poliomyelitis. Science 95: 300-301.

Sabin, A. R. & R. Ward. Flies as carriers of poliomyelitis virus in urban epidemics. Scinece 94: 590-91.

Service, M. 2008. Medical Entomology For Students. Cambridge Univ. Press. 289 p

Toomey, J. A., et al. 1941. Poliomyelitis virus from flies. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 43: 637-39.

Ward, R. et al. 1945. Poliomyelitis virus in fly-contaminated food collected at an epidemic. Science 101: 491-93.