Since it has been established that C. capitata is a cosmopolitan pest that affects hundreds of commercial and wild fruit species, considerable research has been done to assess the medfly's ability to transmit diseases. A 2005 study conducted by Sela et al.
Given that C. capitata is identified as a widespread pest impacting various commercial and wild fruit types, significant investigations have been made to evaluate the medfly’s ability to spread illnesses. A 2005 study was carried out by Sela et al.