Abstract
Blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are an important group of non-biting flies that are potential mechanical vectors of protozoan and helminthic pathogens. The present study was carried out to isolate and identify protozoan cysts and helminthic eggs transmitted by blowflies. Surveys were carried out at six different sites, viz., butcher shops, fish markets, garbage piles, water bodies, and open vegetation in the Kashmir Himalaya. The flies were collected with the help of a sweeping net and using day-old beef liver as bait from March 2021 to February 2023. A total of 968 blowflies were collected, out of which 83 were found carrying at least one protozoan cyst and helminthic egg with six identified species of parasites. Garbage piles were recorded with the highest number of positive cases (10.81%), while human habitation had the highest transmission rate (3.3%). Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) was reported to have the highest number of parasitic cysts and ova (one protozoan cyst and three helminthic eggs), while Ascaris lumbricoides and Entamoeba coli were found to be the most abundant parasites reported from the surface of these flies. The number of parasites isolated from the surface of the blowflies was statistically significant (F = 9.073, df = 1, and p = 0.014), indicating a positive association between the number of parasites isolated from blowflies and the collection sites.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
Not applicable.
References
Adenusi AA, Adewoga TO (2013) Studies on the potential and public health importance of non-biting synanthropic flies in the mechanical transmission of human enterohelminths. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 107:812–818. https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/trt095
Ahmadu YM, Goselle ON, Ejimadu LC, James Rugu NN (2016) Microhabitats and pathogens of houseflies (Musca domestica). J Biol 12:378–380
Akbarzadeh K, Wallman JF, Sulakova H, Szpila K (2015) Species identification of Middle Eastern blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of forensic importance. Parasitol Res 114:1463–1472. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-015-4329-y
Aziz AT, Al-shami SA, Paneerselvam C, Mahyoub JA, Murugan K, Naimah A, Ahmad NW, Nicoletti M, Canale A, Benelli G (2016) Monitoring Diptera species of medical and veterinary importance in Saudi Arabia: comparative efficacy of lure-baited and chromotropic traps. Karbala Int J Mod Sci 2:259–265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kijoms.2016.09.001
Chatterjee KD (1975) Parasitology (protozoology and helminthology) in relation to clinical medicine. Sree Saraswaty Press Ltd, Calcutta
Dar TA, Mir AH (2022) Checklist of blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of Indian subcontinent. J Entomol Res 46(4):907–916. https://doi.org/10.5958/0974-4576.2022.00156.6
Datta M, Parui P, Mukherjee M (1997) State Fauna Series 3, Fauna of West Bengal, Part 7, Insecta, Diptera. Rec Zool Sur India 1–76.
Dipeolu OO (1977) Field and laboratory investigations into the role of the Musca species in the transmission of intestinal parasitic cysts and eggs in Nigeria. J Hyg Epidemiol Microbiol Immunol 21:209–214
Draber-Monko A (1981) Calliphoridae parasitica (Insecta: Diptera) of Warszaw and Mezovia. Memorabilia Zool 35:123–129
Echeverria P, Harrison BA, Tirapat C, McFarland A (1983) Flies as a source of enteric pathogens in a rural village in Thailand. Appl Environ Microbiol 46:32–36
Falk S (2016) British blow flies (Calliphoridae) and woodlouse flies (Rhinophoridae). Draft key to British Calliphoridae and Rhinophoridae, 1–86. http://www.stevenfalk.co.uk/files/21577/testkeytobritishblowflies132016.pdf
Faust EC, Russell PF, Jung RC (1970) Craig and Faust’s clinical parasitology. Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia
Fotedar R, Banerjee U, Singh S, Verma AK (1992) The housefly (Musca domestica) as a carrier of pathogenic microorganisms in a hospital environment. J Hosp Infect 20:209–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/0195-6701(92)90089-5
Getachew S, Gebre-Michael T, Erko B, Balkew M, Medhin G (2007) Non-biting cyclorrhaphan flies (Diptera) as carriers of intestinal human parasites in slum areas of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Acta Trop 103:186–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2007.06.005
Graczyk TK, Knight R, Tamang L (2005) Mechanical transmission of human protozoan parasites by insects. Clin Microbiol Rev 18:128–132
Greenberg B (1971) Flies and diseases-ecology, classification and biotic association. Princeton University Press, New Jersey 1:1–856. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691196763
Hussain M (1987) Geography of Jammu and Kashmir State. Rajesh Publication, New Delhi
Issa R (2019) Musca Domestica acts as transport vector hosts. Bull Natl Res Cen 43:1–5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42269-019-0111-0
Jones N, Whitworth T, Marshall SA (2019) Blow flies of North America: Keys to the subfamilies and genera of Calliphoridae, and to the species of the subfamilies Calliphorinae, Luciliinae and Chrysomyinae. Can J Arthropod Identif 39:1–191. https://doi.org/10.3752/cjai.2019.39
Khamesipour F, Lankarani KB, Honarvar B, Kwenti TE (2018) A systematic review of human pathogens carried by the housefly (Musca domestica L.). BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5934-3
Lawson JR, Gemmell MA (1985) The potential role of blowflies in the transmission of taeniid tapeworm eggs. Parasitology 91:129–143. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182000056572
Liu Y, Chen Y, Wang N, Qin H, Zhang L, Zhang S (2023) The global prevalence of parasites in non-biting flies as vectors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Parasites Vectors 16:1–20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-023-05650-2
Monzon RB, Sanchez AR, Tadiaman BM, Najos OA, Valencia EG, de Rueda RR, Ventura JV (1991) A comparison of the role of Musca domestica (Linnaeus) and Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) as mechanical vectors of helminthic parasites in a typical slum area of Metropolitan Manila. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 22:222–228
Nandi BC (2002) Blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of West Bengal, India with a note on their biodiversity. Rec Zool Sur India 100:117–129. https://doi.org/10.26515/rzsi%2Fv100%2Fi1-2%2F2002%2F159616
Ogunniyi TA, Olajide JS, Oyelade OJ (2015) Human intestinal parasites associated with non-biting flies in ile-ife. Nigeria J Med Biol Sci Res 1(9):124–129
Reid JA (1953) Notes on house-flies and blow-flies in Malaya. Bull Inst Med Res Federated Malay States 7:1–26
Soulsby EJL (1968) Helminths, arthropods and protozoa of domesticated animals. Helminths, arthropods and protozoa of domesticated animals.
Sulaiman S, Sohadi AR, Yunus H, Ibrahim R (1988) The role of some cyclorrhaphan flies as carriers of human helminths in Malaysia. Med Veterinary Entomol 2: l-6. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2915.1988.tb00043.x
Tomberlin KJ, Crippen TL, Tarone AM, Chaudhury MFB, Singh B, Cammack JA, Meisel RP (2017) A review of bacterial interactions with blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of medical, veterinary and forensic importance. Ann Entomol Soc Am 110:19–36. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saw086
Whitworth T (2006) Keys to the genera and species of blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of America north of Mexico. Forensic Entomology: The Utility of Arthropods in Legal Investigations, 3rd ed.; Byrd, JH Tomberlin JK Eds 413–443.
Whitworth TL (2010) Keys to the genera and species of blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of the West Indies and description of a new species of Lucilia Robineau-Desvoidy. Zootaxa, 2663, 1–35. http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/list/2010/2663
Yu F, Qi M, Zhao Z, Lv C, Wang Y, Wang R (2018) The potential role of synanthropic rodents and flies in the transmission of Enterocytozoon bieneusi on a dairy cattle farm in China. J Eukaryot Microbiol 66:435–441. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeu.12687
Acknowledgements
The authors give due credit to the Department of Zoology, University of Kashmir for providing the laboratory and additional resources for accomplishing the current study
Funding
The authors declare that they did not receive any grants, cash, or other forms of assistance while preparing this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
TAD and AHM conceived and planned the manuscript. TAD carried out the survey and collection of the fly specimens. AHM contributed to the interpretation of the results and took the lead in writing the manuscript. Both the authors made final approval of the manuscript to be published.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Ethics approval
Not applicable.
Consent to participate
Not applicable.
Consent to publish
Not applicable.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Dar, T.A., Mir, A.H. Blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) as potential mechanical vectors of the protozoan cyst and helminthic eggs in Kashmir Himalaya, India. J Parasit Dis (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-024-01663-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-024-01663-5