The role of the house fly (Musca domestica L.) in the transmission of Coxiella burnetii.

The flies which are fed a single rickettsia suspension keep their infectivity throughout their life and can contaminate environment as long as that. Under conditions of experiment their life span is 32 days. Coxiella burnetii survives in the faeces of flies as long as 80 days, in the dead flies as long as 90 days.