Is it safe to eat flies if they have been cooked?
A person may accidentally ingest flies if they eat spoiled food.Accidentally eating flies is not a cause for concern, but it can lead to health problems.
The common housefly has a maggot.Maggots have no legs and are white or cream in length.
An adult female housefly can lay up to 130 eggs at a time, and each one of these will become a single larva.The rotting organic matter that flies lay their eggs in serves as food for the developing larvae.
In this article, we explore some of the potential health effects of eating insects and explain what to do if you accidentally ingest them.We discuss if it is safe for people to eat flies.
There are multiple food sources that flies can visit throughout the day, and they may carry harmfulbacteria that they have picked up from human or animal waste.People eat a lot of foods.
Larvae can be found in the food.The people who eat the contaminated food may become unwell.
Somebacteria that can be transmitted to humans areSalmonella and Escherichia coli.
It is one of the most common causes of food poisoning.Symptoms of the disease can include:
Symptoms typically begin between 12 and 72 hours after a person ingests the bacteria, and the illness usually lasts for 4 to 7 days.
People with food poisoning get better without treatment.Severe dehydration and hospitalization can be caused by frequent vomiting and diarrhea.It is important for people with Salmonella poisoning to drink plenty of liquid to replace lost fluids and electrolytes.
There are many different strains of E. coli.Some strains can cause a person to become very sick.
The symptoms may take between 1 and 10 days to develop.
It can range in severity from mild to severe, and sometimes even life-threatening.It is important for people to drink plenty of liquid to prevent dehydration.
Myiasis occurs when a person is bitten by a fly.The larvae feed off the person's tissues.
Intestinal myiasis can occur when a person ingests worms that survive inside the gastrointestinal tract.Some people with myiasis don't experience any symptoms and may only realize that they have an problem when they notice worms in their stools.
In the United States, myiasis is rare and mostly occurs in tropical and subtropical countries, including some in Africa and South America.People can get myiasis when they travel to these countries.
Accidentally eating flies doesn't usually cause long-term harm.If a person has eaten spoiled food, they may be at risk of food poisoning.Symptoms of food poisoning can range from mild to serious and can last for several days.
It's important for people who get food poisoning to drink plenty of fluid to prevent dehydration.
If there are any of the following signs and symptoms, a person should see a doctor.
People outside of Europe and North America eat insects.There are close to 2,000 species of insects.The eggs and larvae of certain insects can be eaten.
Casu marzu is a cheese from Sardinia.The cheesemaker removes the outer crust in the early stages of cheese production to encourage flies to lay their eggs.The cheese is rotting and the larvae eat it.The cheese has a unique flavor.
The European Food Safety Authority banned the sale of casu marzu due to health risks.Some Sardinian farmers still make cheese for personal consumption.
Maggots are high in fat.Scientists are looking into the possibility of growing, harvesting, and processing black soldier flies for human consumption.
Scientists suggest heating, drying, and microwaving to reduce the risk ofbacteria.There is no guarantee of a risk-free way to eat maggots.
Most people living in the U.S. are unlikely to be harmed by accidentally eating maggots.
People may get food poisoning from eating contaminated or spoiled food.Most cases of food poisoning resolve on their own.
If someone accidentally ingests some insects, they should visit a doctor.