Short communication The house fly (Musca domestica) as a potential vector of metazoan parasites caught in a pig-pen in Germany Maike Fo ¨ rster a, *, Sven Klimpel a , Kai Sievert b a Institute of Zoomorphology, Cell Biology and Parasitology, Heinrich-Heine-University Du ¨sseldorf, Universita ¨tsstrasse 1, D-40225 Du ¨sseldorf, Germany b Novartis Animal Health AG, WRO-1032.3.44, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland 1. Introduction Diptera outrank other insect orders in terms of medical and veterinary significance, being responsible for the transmission of a wide variety of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoan and metazoan parasites in humans and animals (e.g. Banjo et al., 2005; Fo ¨ rster et al., 2007). Only a few of the hundreds of fly species are common pests in and around human homes and farms. These insects are important mainly due to their frequent pathogenic properties. Some of the most common nui- sance fly species are the house fly (Musca domestica), the face fly (Musca autumnalis), the stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans) and blowflies (e.g. Lucilia sp. and Sarcophaga sp.). These flies feed on and breed in animal dung, organic waste and carcasses (blowflies) from which they can contain bacteria, viruses and parasites that may cause human and animal diseases (Howard, 2001). M. domestica is a world-wide distributed pest organism and the dominant synanthropic fly species in animal production, homes and restaurants. The control of the house fly population is a major problem for most livestock farming, caused by the ideal breeding and feeding conditions for the flies around the farm. This fly species has been shown to carry eggs of parasitic helminths (e.g. Ancylostoma caninum, Ascaris lumbricoides, Hymenolepis nana, Hymenolepis diminuta, Taenia spp., Trichuris trichiura) on their body surface under field and laboratory conditions (Rao et al., 1971; Dipeolu, 1977, 1982; Umeche and Mandah, 1989). Flies have been demonstrated to transmit pathogens via their mouthparts, through vomits, via faeces, and via their whole body surface. Parasites are taken up by flies, if they have contact with contaminated materials. Therefore the Veterinary Parasitology 160 (2009) 163–167 ARTICLE INFO Article history: Received 21 August 2008 Received in revised form 15 October 2008 Accepted 20 October 2008 Keywords: Musca domestica Metazoan parasites Vector Pig-pen ABSTRACT In the present study a total of 224 specimens of the synanthropic house fly (Musca domestica) were caught in a pig-pen of an organic farmer in Dormagen (Germany). The flies were examined for their potential as a carrier of metazoan parasites. On the exoskeletons and in the intestines of the flies the eggs and/or larvae of four endoparasite nematode species of domestic pigs (Ascaris suum, Strongyloides ransomi, Metastrongylus sp., undetermined Strongylida) were isolated. Also one ectoparasite species, the hog louse (Haematopinus suis), was detected on the exoskeleton of one fly. The analysis of the pig faeces as potential source revealed many eggs and larvae of nematodes. A high number of A. suum eggs (62.0% of all found nematode eggs), many eggs of strongylid nematodes (21.0%), some eggs of S. ransomi and few eggs of Trichuris suis were detected. However Metastrongylus sp. could not be identified in the faeces. Further laboratory experiments verified the potential of the house fly as a transmitter of the pig parasites A. suum and T. suis. In the intestines of 59 flies (49.2%) from 120 experimentally used house flies, nematode eggs of both nematode species were detected. The present study clearly demonstrates the potential of the house fly as a vector of metazoan pig parasites. ß 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 211 8111942; fax: +49 211 8114499. E-mail address: maike.foerster@uni-duesseldorf.de (M. Fo ¨ rster). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Veterinary Parasitology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/vetpar 0304-4017/$ – see front matter ß 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2008.10.087