Tsetse fly present in 34 countries in Africa, confirms FAO atlas

  • October 1, 2024
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Tsetse fly present in 34 countries in Africa, confirms FAO atlas

Sub: Env

Sec: Species in news

New Atlas Reveals Tsetse Fly Distribution in Africa:

  • The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has published a new atlas showing the presence of tsetse flies in 34 African countries. This is a significant update, as the last comprehensive map was created over 50 years ago.

What are Tsetse Flies?

  • Tsetse flies belong to the genus Glossina
  • They transmit trypanosomes, unicellular parasites that cause:
    • Sleeping sickness in humans
    • Nagana in African livestock

Impact:

  • Human cases: Sleeping sickness is no longer a major public health issue, with annual cases below 2,000
  • Livestock: Tsetse flies continue to have a significant impact, causing estimated annual agricultural losses in the billions of dollars

The New FAO Atlas:

  • Data sources: 669 scientific papers from 1990 to 2020
  • Methods: Combines Google Earth geolocation data with entomological fieldwork
  • Scope: Analyzed7,386 sites across Africa

Key Findings:

  1. Confirmed presence of Glossina species in 34 countries
  2. Geographical range: From Northern Senegal (15°N) to South Africa (Kwazulu-Natal province at 5 degrees south)
  3. Most widespread species:
    • West Africa: Glossina palpalis and Glossina tachinoides
    • Central Africa: Glossina fuscipes
    • East and Southern Africa: Glossina morsitans and Glossina pallidipes

Data Gaps and Limitations:

  • No published data was found for Burundi, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Somalia (These countries are still considered affected by tsetse flies)
  • Limited information for:Angola, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan
  • North African countries historically free of tsetse flies were not included

Importance of the Atlas:

  • Aids veterinary practitioners and policymakers in affected countries
  • Assists international organisations like WHO in fighting sleeping sickness and animal trypanosomiasis
  • Helps establish a reference for tsetse fly and African animal trypanosomosis distribution (e.g., in western Ethiopia)

Source: DTE

Environment Tsetse fly present in 34 countries in Africa