Is it okay to eat the food that Paris briefly sat on?

When eating outdoors in the middle of summer, flies can land on your food without you even realizing it. Even if they only sit for a moment, it often feels unappetizing to eat.

Is it okay for health to eat food that flies have landed on?

In conclusion, it is safer not to eat food that a fly has landed on.

Even common houseflies can transmit 351 types of bacteria, including Salmonella and Escherichia coli. In fact, flies cannot chew food. Instead, they regurgitate digestive enzymes from their stomachs to break down the food before re-ingesting it. This is also why they often sit on rotten food or feces for extended periods. At this time, numerous hairs on the fly's legs have bacteria attached to them. If the food a fly has landed on is left unattended, there is a risk of bacterial proliferation due to cross-contamination. Cross-contamination refers to the phenomenon where harmful microorganisms or bacteria are transmitted from one surface to another.

For the reasons mentioned above, Paris can transmit diseases.

 Paris was known to spread infectious diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and typhoid fever.

According to a study by Pennsylvania State University in the United States, houseflies are suspected of transmitting at least 65 types of diseases to humans. In particular, black flies living in warm regions can carry bacteria that cause stomach ulcers and sepsis. However, in Korea, reports of transmitting zoonotic diseases through flies are rare.

If a fly only sits for a second, it might seem okay, but one second is enough time for bacteria to spread.

The movement speed of bacteria itself is about 67 times slower than a snail, but if there is moisture on the surface of an object, the speed rapidly increases. A research team from Rutgers University in the United States analyzed the time it takes to pick up various objects such as jelly, bread, and watermelon after dropping them on surfaces. As a result, bacteria capable of causing harm to humans were detected even on food that was picked up after one second. Therefore, if a fly lands on food, it is better not to eat it as a preventive measure.

If you must eat it, at least remove the part where the fly was sitting.