Unattended Death – Flies – Cross Contamination
Cross contamination happens when there has been an unattended death. After a time, the dead body will begin to decompose and internal bacteria will start breaking down tissues. Flies are attracted to the dead body as a place to lay their eggs. These adult flies have likely already landed on feces and dead animals and can carry any number of diseases from place to place. After leaving the body, they can land on walls, windows, belongings, and doors, taking blood, bodily fluids, and diseases with them and thus a whole area can be contaminated though the biohazard was originally concentrated in one small area.
When a dead body has gone a long period without being discovered, the fly life cycle can be repeated a multitude of times. Thus having hundreds of flies in the home transferring blood and bodily fluids throughout the whole house. Cross contamination isn’t always this severe, but these pictures will give you a good idea what it looks like.
Coming Upon A Death Scene
If you come across a death scene where there is cross contamination, be sure to stay out of the area so you yourself don’t inadvertently spread the blood and bodily fluids by stepping on the marks left behind on the floor by the files. These types of death scenes are riskier than most because the biohazards are not contained to one location. They are now spread throughout the space.
What to Look For
Cross contamination will typically look like brown marks on the wall, around a window, or anywhere a fly might land. The fly marks are dried blood and other bodily fluids.
Cross Contamination Cleanup
When cross contamination takes place, the biohazard cleanup is no longer contained to the area where the person died. The flies have tracked it throughout the whole area, which makes the cross contamination cleanup more extensive. The biohazard cleanup technicians need to clean and disinfect all the places that the flies have landed for the health and safety of those who will return to space.
Bio SoCal – #1 Recommended Biohazard Cleanup Company
Bio SoCal is the #1 recommended biohazard cleanup company because of its extensive experience in cleaning up after an undiscovered death and cross contamination. Bio SoCal is meticulous and thorough in the aftermath of the death to ensure that all biohazards have been remediated. Your mental and physical safety is our number one priority.
