Assessing the Public Health Consequences of Wildlife-Related Tsetse Flies in Kainji Lake National Park, Nigeria

Abstract

A survey of tsetse flies was carried out at the two sectors of Kainji Lake National Park. Gourtex fly traps, the drum 
shaped and biconical-shaped, were used. The traps were set adjacently at the same location. Four traps were set in 
each vegetation zone. At Bourgu Sector 20 traps were set, while 24 were set at Zurgurma sector. Cattle and Pig urine 
(Mixture) were used as attractant. The traps were set in the mornings and harvested in the evenings. Harvests were 
reserved in 4% formalin and identified later in the laboratory under microscrope. Three species of tsetse flies were 
identified. These include: Glossina morsitans, Glossina palpalis and Glossina tachnoides. They belong to the family 
Glosidae, the class insect (hexapoda) and order Diptera and genus Glosina. G. morsitans were found all over the 
wooded vegetation zones while G. palpalis and G. tachnoides were restricted to the Oli complex and the riverine 
vegetation zones at Borgu sector. At Zugurma sector, G. tachnoides was restricted to the riverine forests of River 
Nuwanzurugi. The reason for these findings is that morsitans group mostly live in open savanna while the palpali, 
which include G. palpalis and G. tachnoides inhabit the riverine area. The two types of traps, the biconical shaped traps 
and drum shaped, were equally efficient in catching flies (p ≤ 0.05) using one tailed t-test.