Bug zappers kill those pesky insects that threaten to ruin backyard picnics by delivering a lethal electric shock to the insects. However, when these insects are killed the viruses and bacteria on and in the insects can be spread up to 2 meters (about 2.2 yards) from the bug zapper (that is if no wind is blowing). During the 99th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology(you may need to register at this site to see the story), James Urban of Kansas State University in Manhattan Kansas found that these electrocuting grids (bug zappers) could potentially contaminate the food at your backyard picnic.
Urban's group contaminated common houseflies with a virus (bacteriophage) that infects a bacteria called Escherichia coli. This virus is the same size and shape as the human polio virus. The flies were either sprayed with the bacteriophage or fed the virus in a suger solution. The researchers then set the flies free in a room equipped with a bug zapper. Spread of the bacteriophage was measured using air samplers located at various locations in the room or by placing agar plates with Escherichia coli on them beneath the bug zapper at various locations. After zapping the flies the plates and air sampler's filters were examined for bacteriophage growth.
Their results demonstrated that 1 in every 4,000 bacteriophages on a fly was spread by electrocution. Only 1 in 1,000,000 viruses was spread by electrocution if the bacteriophages were inside the fly. However, whether the bacteriophages were in or on the flies they were spread over the same distances.
Previous studies by the same group revealed that bacteria on the surface of electrocuted flies are spread over a similar range so these results are not restricted to viruses. It is important that surface contamination of the flies results in more bacteriophage and bacteria spreading out from the bug zapper. Houseflies are dirty beasts and they love to walk in the dirt and on fecal material so their surfaces are oftentimes contaminated with organisms that could cause human infections.
Other research has shown that very few of the insects killed by the bug zapper are biting insects and that you are more likely to be bitten by a pesky insect if you are close to the bug zapper. That is because the mosquitoes and other biting insects are attracted to the bug zapper's light without ever going near the electrocuting metal grid.
So should you go home and throw away that bug zapper? No. That isn't necessary. However, I would keep the bug zapper at least 3 meters (about 3.3 yards) from food handling areas and from where children play.
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