More than 1,000 flies were collected and shipped to Oxford (Image: Getty)
Flies circulating in wards may pose a threat to vulnerable patients by spreading bacteria that are resistant to , scientists have warned.
Researchers in Nigeria collected 1,396 flies from eight hospitals in six cities. They identified 17 species of bacteria in the samples – including some which were resistant to last-resort drugs.
The bacteria were analysed using whole genome sequencing, which identified antimicrobial resistance genes in all 17 species.
Study co-author Dr Kirsty Sands, scientific lead at the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research, said: “Insect pests such as flies can move between hospitals, urban settings and the natural environment.
“Our latest findings imply that flies circulating in hospital wards could pose a threat to patients who are vulnerable to infection during their stay, especially as flies commonly land on patients in these settings.
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“Our study is one of the largest surveillance studies looking at the bacteria carried by flies in hospitals in low- and middle-income countries to date.”
The flies were collected using sticky traps placed in hospital wards, then shipped to labs in Oxford.
Some 40% of flies studied carried bacteria with at least one extended-spectrum beta-lactamase gene and 8% carried bacteria with the blaNDM gene.
Both are associated with resistance to commonly used antibiotics, making infections harder and more costly to treat.
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Study co-author Chioma Achi, project lead at the institute, said the findings were “very worrying”.
She added: “Even more concerning is the fact that there may be many more flies carrying multiple resistance genes out there than our study was able to find.
“The data we’ve gathered is valuable evidence of the need for improved insect control measures in hospitals.
“We hope this study will provide a blueprint for future research into the role of flies in spreading AMR in hospitals in Nigeria and other low- and middle-income countries.”
The findings were published in the journal Environment International.