Preliminary study on potential mechanical vectors of animal trypanosomes in the Far North region of Cameroon

Pierre Fongho Suh; Flobert Njiokou; Rebecca Garabed; Abdoulmoumini Mamoudou; Mouhaman Arabi; Ahmadou Tidjani Malam

Preliminary study on potential mechanical vectors of animal trypanosomes in the Far North region of Cameroon

2019

An entomological study was carried out in the Far North region of Cameroon – historically known focus for animal trypanosomosis and declared tsetse free in the late 1970s – to determine the potential mechanical vectors for trypanosomes and their spatial preference in this region. Thirty-one Nzi traps were installed at 6:30–8:00 a.m. in Goulfey, Madiako canton and Darack karena in Logone and Chari Division, as well as in Guidiguis, Kalfou and Maga-Guirvidig in two other divisions. They were visited after 10–11 hours of exposition. The sampling lasted one day. A total of 20,084 hematophagous flies (865 Stomoxys and 19,219 tabanids) were collected. Stomoxys niger was the only Stomoxyinae species caught, whereas five species of tabanids were collected: Atylotus agrestis, A. albipalpus, A. fuscipes, Tabanus taeniola and T. biguttatus. A. agrestis was by far the most prevalent species (92.7%), followed by T. taeniola (7.1%). The apparent densities of 50.1, 409.4 and 1499.0 tabanids per trap per day in Guidiguis, Goulfey and Madiako canton, respectively, were significantly different (p = 0.0002). Tabanids were more abundant in campsites than in pastures and water points. Atylotus agrestis seemed to be the major potential mechanical vector of trypanosomes in the area.

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