Abstract

Houseflies are the best known and most widely distributed insects accounting for 90% of all flies in human habitations. This study was carried out to identify the helminth parasites on the external body of housefly (Musca domestica) across Federal University Wukari community. A total of 200 houseflies were collected using the sweep net method, from four different locations (male hostel, cattle unit, poultry unit and cafeteria). The flies were examined for parasitic fauna using normal saline concentration technique, out of 200 flies that were examined 34 were found to be infected with at least one parasite, male hostel had the highest prevalence of infection with 14 flies infected with parasites, while cafeteria had the least prevalence of infection with 3 flies infected with parasites. Parasite species isolated from the external body surfaces of the flies were all helminthes; Ascaris lumbricoides, Necator americanus (hookworm) and Taenia saginata, all in ova form. Ascaris lumbricoides had the highest percentage prevalence of 32(47.06%), followed by Necator americanus with 25(36.76%), while Taenia saginata had the least prevalence of infection with 11(16.18). Chi square test showed no significant association between the rate of infection and locations. It can be concluded that houseflies in Federal University Wukari harbor pathogenic parasites on their body. The fact that houseflies have been incriminated to be mechanical transmitters of pathogenic diseases to man because of their ubiquitous lifestyles, measures must be taken to control fly population in order to avert the future outbreak of diseases.