Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 15, 2026
10:49
Visualizing Efficacy of Pesticides Against Disease Vector Mosquitoes in the Field
Published on: March 16, 2019
9.3K
Optimal strategies for controlling riverine tsetse flies using targets: a modelling study
Glyn A Vale1, John W Hargrove2, Michael J Lehane3
1Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, United Kingdom; South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases
|March 25, 2015
Summary
Seasonal, high-density deployment of tiny insecticide-treated targets can be a cost-effective strategy for reducing tsetse fly populations, the vectors of sleeping sickness, in riverine habitats.
Area of Science:
- Vector-borne disease control
- Entomology
- Mathematical modeling
Background:
- Tsetse flies in sub-Saharan Africa transmit trypanosomes, causing sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in livestock.
- Insecticide-treated targets are an economical tsetse control method, with smaller targets showing efficacy for riverine populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of deploying small, insecticide-treated targets for tsetse fly control in riverine habitats.
- To determine optimal deployment strategies regarding intensity and duration.
Main Methods:
- A deterministic model was developed using Excel and Visual Basic for Applications.
- The model simulated tsetse fly population dynamics (births, deaths, movement) in riverine vegetation.
Main Results:
- High-density, seasonal deployment of tiny targets for a few months annually can significantly reduce tsetse densities by ~90%.
- This strategy is cost-effective for impacting sleeping sickness incidence.
- Local tsetse elimination is feasible in isolated areas or where invasion sources are non-self-sustaining.
Conclusions:
- Seasonal use of tiny targets warrants field trials for tsetse control.
- Identifying non-self-sustaining tsetse habitats can optimize control strategies across various environments.
- Criteria for recognizing such habitats are proposed to improve planning.
