As a result, all spaces where spiders live must be cleaned regularly to prevent contamination and limit the danger of exposure to deadly microorganisms.
Melissa Gaver-Wainwright, a Ph.D. student in entomology at Washington State University, wanted to investigate the undiscovered consequences of spiders eating dirt flies.
She was particularly interested in determining whether the spider and land may transport pathogenic bacteria on surfaces beneath it.
Is it possible that having spiders indoors poses a public health risk? She conducted her research on this topic to answer these queries.
Her studies have shown that spider droppings may not be as harmless as many belief.
After tapping a fecal sample from a sterile container, and cultivating it in a growth medium to boost the bacterial count, a complete analysis of black widow spider (Latrodectus Hesperus) waste material was done.
They use universal bacterial primers that amplify conserved regions of the 16S rRNA gene to identify microorganisms associated with feces. Amazingly, no pathogens were found.
This finding could be explained by research indicating that some spider venom and blood contain antimicrobial properties capable of destroying many bacteria, including E. coli, Staphylococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp., and others.
