Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2021 Invasion of the scuttle fl ies Flies that are making life miserable for Saugus residents can pose a signifi cant health risk, according to entomologist By Mark E. Vogler A n entomologist warned Health Director John R. Fralick this week that an invasion of scuttle fl ies in a home on Pemberly Drive can pose "a signifi cant" health risk. “While these types of infestations seem to be rare, they represent a signifi cant risk particularly in situations where people have prolonged and intense interactions with fly populations,” Tony Kiszewski advised Fralick in a letter dated July 20 (Tuesday). “Their larvae can exploit a wide variety of substrates, but they are particularly well known for infesting animal carcasses and human corpses. Literature reviews of their public health relevance reveal that they have been associated on occasion with human myiasis, including urinary tract, intestinal and nasopharyngeal infestations,” he wrote. “They have also been reported to be able to infest unhealed wounds in recuperating patients,” he said. Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree referred to the letter this week when briefi ng selectmen on the neighborhood concern over scuttle fl ies that have recently plagued residents of Pemberley Drive near Fiske Brook. Kiszewski is a public health entomologist with a primary appointment at Bentley University and a secondary appointment as a research associate at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard. He specializes in biting Diptera including mosquitoes and serves in the Mosquito Advisory Group for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Kiszewski said he was recently contacted by Boston Television Station WBZ news to assist in the identifi cation of some specimens collected on sticky cards taken from a light trap in the laundry room of a house on Pemberly Drive. “There were hundreds of specimens of tiny flies (23mm) on each card that turned out to be higher Diptera (Infraorder Muscomorpha) in the family Phoridae, commonly known as scuttle or coffi n fl ies,” Kiszewski advised Fralick. “Further microscopic examination revealed them to be members of a highly cosmopolitan species known as Megaselia scalaris.This struck me as rather unusual because though M. scalaris has been found all over the world, they are more commonly associated with warm climates in tropical and subtropical regions,” he said. “My first encounter with them was as a U.S. Navy entomologist working in Okinawa Japan with the USMC’s 3rd Medical Battalion. I once discovered larvae and pupae of this species infesting ketchup bottles in a Marine mess hall on Camp Hansen,” he said. “Out of curiosity and at the invitation of a WBZ crew, I visited the site at Fiske Brook on July 15 and sampled fl y specimens from residents’ homes, gnat swarms near the stream itself, the vacant lot across the stream, and a large sample of decaying sediment from the A.B.C. CIGAR 170 REVERE ST., REVERE (781) 289-4959 Same Location * Same Service for over 49 Years! CIGAR GIFT PACKS UNDER $50 Chris Dan Steve Cigar Accessories ---------GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE Summer Is Here & So Are We! Buy 2 Cigars marked with a Green Label, Get the Third Green Label Cigar FREE! ~ SPECIAL OF THE MONTH ~ 25 Count Humidor - Glass Top - Hydrometer + Bundle of our Best Selling Cigars & Torch Lighter - Only $99.95 * Travel Humidors * Desk Top Humidors * Many Types of Lighters * Ash Trays * Juuls * Cigar Accessories * Vapes * Glass Pipes * Rewards Program * CBD Infused Products DEEP DISCOUNTS ON ALL MAJOR BRANDS! GREAT SELECTION! GREAT PRICES! STORE HOURS: Mon. - Wed.: 8 AM - 7 PM / Thurs., Fri. - Sat.: 8 AM - 8 PM Sunday & Holidays: 8 AM-6 PM Saugus artist Deborah Cutulle is hard at work on the City Hall centerpiece sculpture for the International Sand Sculpting Festival. For the fi rst time, three satellite sand sculptures will pop up, previewing the International Sand Sculpting Festival on Aug. 6 at Revere Beach. The satellite sculptures will be in front of Revere City Hall (281 Broadway), at the 500 Ocean Avenue apartments and at Suff olk Downs (525 McClellan Hwy., Boston) in the coming weeks . (Advocate photo by Tara Vocino) They’re coming back! Renowned sand sculptures return to the Beach Aug. 6 Scuttle fl ies edge of the stream. I found no evidence of a signifi cant presence of fungus gnats in the families Sciaridae or Mycetophilidae. The adult fl ies swarming near the stream are primarily chironomids. Insect larvae in the sediment fl anking the stream were primarily chironomids or tipulids.” He said he investigated the culvert and streambed as well as a vacant lot across the stream but was unable to locate a source for the adult fl ies, although they were still entering people’s houses at the time. “One resident stated that she fi lls up one sticky plate per day in her light traps. I remain intrigued by this unusual situation and eager to discover the source of this infestation,” he said. 20th Annual Walk of Hope for ALS – Sept. 11 W AKEFIELD – The 20th annual Walk of Hope for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), a 3.5-mile walk around Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefi eld to benefi t The Angel Fund for ALS Research, will be held on Saturday, September 11. Walkers of all abilities are encouraged to participate as individuals or as a team. The walk begins with registration at 9 a.m. followed by the start of the walk at 11 a.m. The traditional release of white doves will be held prior to the start of the walk. In addition to the walk around Lake Quannapowitt, the event includes activities and refreshments for all walkers. Although masks are not mandated, non-vaccinated walkers are encouraged to wear masks. The Angel Fund for ALS Research is a nonprofi t organization dedicated to supporting ALS research at UMass Medical School in Worcester. ALS is a progressive, always fatal neuANNUAL | SEE PAGE 16
5 Publizr Home