The fly and the soup: Researchers from Conicet propose solutions for the control of the housefly in poultry farms

Houseflies, the same ones that appear in homes on hot and humid days, are actually a pest that concerns the interior of poultry farms, especially now, as more cases of resistance to insecticides are being detected, and it is necessary to find alternative ways to combat them. The main problem is that they act as a mechanical and biological vector of diseases and are capable of transmitting viruses, bacteria, fungi, and helminths to both animals and humans. In the particular case of birds, the concern revolves around the Newcastle virus, which can be fatal, but also other infections that reduce body weight and affect egg production. A group of researchers from Conicet worked on this particular scourge, identifying the causes of resistance and establishing parameters to combat the pest, which they claim could serve as a basis for a monitoring program for poultry farms. "We discovered that 87 percent of houseflies contained at least some of the genetic mutations (kdr, kdr-his, and ...