Rizal Philippines | February 16, 2014
#sleeping sickness, #nagana, #FAO
Sterile Insect Technique for control of tsetse flies in Africa
In l969, while in college, I remember making a paper in the Biology class regarding tsetse flies which causes trypanasomas, which is called Nagana in cattle, and sleeping sickness in man. This is an epidemic in Africa. This has caused starvation, and destruction of destruction of human resources due to death it has caused.
This disease infest 36 countries in Africa, and covers an area between 9 to 10 million square km. And causes damage between $600 to $ 1 billion in death of livestock. This gives truth to the saying health is wealth
Today, I learned from Al Jazeera, that up to now there has been no effective cure/prevention of the disease.
What are they doing? They intend to eradicate the vector, the tse tse flies by spreading irradiated male tse tse flies. It is hoped that the flies will be eradicated by 2016. Scientists however are not sure as to its effect on the fragile African ecosystem
From FAO Org - background and efforts to control Nagana and sleeping sickness in Africa
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