A quick manual for assembly and use of a trap and a Tiny Target.

Both male and female tsetse flies are exclusively blood feeding on a variety of animals, including humans and inflict painful bites. If a tsetse fly is infected with parasites (Trypanosomes), it can transmit Sleeping Sickness (Human African Trypanosomiasis) to humans and Nagana (Animal African Trypanosomiasis) to livestock and domestic animals.

Most tsetse flies prefer shady and humid areas, eg. forests and rivers. In areas where tsetse flies present problems, it is possible to achieve local tsetse population control, depending on the size of the area treated.

This manual briefly describe how to use ‘Tiny Targets’ (Fig. 1, right), developed for cost-efficient control of tsetse flies along rivers, swamps and forested areas. These small blue and black cloth targets are treated with insecticide (Deltamethrin) and attract and kill tsetse flies when they collide with the cloth.

Related publications

Esterhuizen, J., Rayaisse, J.B., Tirados, I., Mpiana, S. and Solano, P., Vale, Glyn A., Lehane, M. J., Torr. S. J.  (2011) Improving the cost-effectiveness of visual devices for the control of riverine tsetse flies, the major vectors of Human African Trypanosomiasis. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 5, e1257.

Esterhuizen, J., Njiru, B., Vale, G.A., Lehane, M.J. and Torr, S.J. (2011) Vegetation and the importance of insecticide-treated target siting for control of Glossina fuscipes fuscipes. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 5, e1336.

Esterhuizen, J. (2015). Disease prevention and anti-vector campaigns: insects.  In: New developments in major vector borne-diseases. OIE Scientific and Technical Review 34(1): 227-232.

Rayaisse, J.B., Esterhuizen, J., Tirados, I., Kaba, D. and Salou, E., Diarrassouba, A., Vale, G., Lehane, M., Torr,S., Solano,P. (2011) Towards an optimal design of target for tsetse control: comparisons of novel targets for the control of Palpalis Group tsetse in West Africa. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 5, e1332.

Shaw APM, Tirados I, Mangwiro CTN, Esterhuizen J, Lehane MJ, Torr SJ, et al. (2015) Costs Of Using “Tiny Targets” To Control Glossina fuscipes fuscipes, a Vector of Gambiense Sleeping Sickness in Arua District of Uganda. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 9(3): e0003624.

Tirados,I., Esterhuizen J., Kovacic, V., Mangwiro, C. Hastings, I., Solano, P. ehane, M.J., Torr, S. J. (2015) Tsetse control and Gambian sleeping sickness: implications for control strategy.  PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases,  in press August 2015.