A new study has raised serious concerns about hospital hygiene in Nigeria. Researchers discovered that houseflies inside hospital wards might be spreading bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
The study was done by the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, along with Nigerian scientists. They collected 1,396 flies from eight hospitals in six major cities. These flies carried many bacteria species, and many of them had genes linked to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This means the bacteria are harder to treat with regular medicines.
Although the study could not confirm if the flies directly infect patients, the risk remains high. Flies often land on wounds, food, or equipment, which could spread dangerous microbes. Therefore, the researchers call for better insect control and more studies to understand the full impact. They also stress the need to fight AMR through better hospital hygiene and infection prevention.
