PETA - Lord of the Flies

This story was too good/bad to pass up. President Obama was doing a CNBS TV interview. There was a fly that was annoying, and the President took care of the pest on film. Norfolk-based group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) wanted the President to be more humane! It's reported they are sending a Katcha Bug Humane Bug Catcher, a trap that permits anyone to trap a house fly and then release it outside.

Just why are we saving the flies? According to the Illinois Department of Public Health Web site at http://www.idph.state.il.us, the house fly and other types of "filth flies" can become annoyance pests, and have the potential to harm humans and animals. Flies can spread diseases like food poisoning and dysentery. The Illinois Department of Public Health stated that flies, including stable flies and mosquitoes (which are also classified as flies, or Diptera), can impose excruciating bites while feeding on the blood of humans and other animals, and some species spread disease. Flies are known to carry Streptococcus and Staphylococcus bacteria.

Forgot again why we were catching and releasing the flies? Many bacteria and parasites infest the flies, making flies a chief part in spreading many diseases by touching exteriors with their legs or their saliva. After walking on feces and waste, flies may carry over 5 million bacteria on their feet. The parasite Entamoeba histolytica causes dysentery. This particular parasite and may be transported by flies. Leprosy or Hansen's Disease is a chronic syndrome that has an effect mainly on the skin. Flies from rotted foods carry the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae, which causes the disease. Typhoid is a disease carried by flies poke around feces. The flies pick up the bacteria known as Salmonella Typhi. Myiasis disease arises mostly on animals such as dogs, sheep and cows. The disease can occur on humans, frequently carried by the Cheese Skipper fly. Myiasis is transmitted by flies that lay eggs on the skin of animals and humans. The larvae can tunnel into the skin or infiltrate open wounds.

The common housefly like the one at the White House lives for only a few weeks. The female Musca domestica can lay as many as 2,000 eggs. If the weather is warm, the eggs hatch in about 10 hours, creating a new fly generation that continue breeding. PETA wants the flies released back outside where they thrive in damp, humid places like garbage and feces. Flies feed for the most part on liquids, including wetness on decayed fruits and vegetables, fecal matter and water. Flies seek food on clammy skin surfaces such as the mouth, eyes, sores and wounds. Flies soften dry substances with discharge from its salivary glands, and by vomiting part of the fluid.

Flies are active in daylight or in artificial light, which is why the White House fly was buzzing around, attracted by the TV lights. Flies rest during darkness on walls, fences, wires or other items. So again numerous reports state that PETA is sending President Barack Obama a Katcha Bug Humane Bug Catcher, a gadget that let users to trap a house fly and then let it loose outside. The question is repeated again - why?

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Work Cited:

http://cbs5.com/watercooler/obama.fly.swatting.2.1049295.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/C0117442/html/diseases.html

http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/pcfilthflies.htm

http://www.stumbleupon.com/s/#1y81vE/hamptonroads.com.nyud.net/2009/06/peta-wishes-obama-hadnt-swatted-fly/

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetext/INF-DA/FliesandDisease.pdf