298 Microbes and You 



FLIES 

 While flies and other insects are generally considered to be pas- 

 sive agents in the transfer of many microorganisms, recent evidence 

 indicates that if insects ingest a large enough dose of specific 

 enteric organisms, a spillover point may be reached, and the in- 

 sects may serve as active cultures with multiplication of the patho- 

 gens in their digestive tract and excretion of the microorganisms 

 in their feces over an extended period. This point will be dis- 

 cussed further in a later chapter devoted to insects and disease 

 transmission. 



FINGERS 

 From the previous discussion of food poisoning it should be 

 clear that fingers and hands may be extremely important in the 

 spread of food poisoning and food infection. Clean hands and 

 short, clean finger nails are imperative if the spreading of disease 

 is to be minimized by food handlers. 



FOMITES 

 The importance of inanimate objects, called fomites, in the 

 dissemination of disease is not well understood, and ignorance has 

 undoubtedly resulted in over-emphasis of fomites. But certain 

 inanimate objects, such as the public drinking cup, can be instru- 

 mental in spreading microbes since it is virtually a direct contact 

 with infected individuals. The common Communion Cup, while 

 it is still used in some churches, has largely been replaced by in- 

 dividual glasses. In spite of any oligodynamic action that a shiny 

 silver chalice may afford, the relatively short time period between 

 human contacts with the lip of the cup does not allow much, if 

 any, disinfecting action to take place. 



FOOD 

 Since food was discussed in the previous chapter, further elab- 

 oration here seems unnecessary other than to repeat that much 

 human suffering can be traced to careless handling of plant and 



