Sleeping sickness is a much-neglected tropical disease, caused by a bite from a tsetse fly which transmits a certain parasite. It occurs in most of sub-Sahara Africa. Recently, British scientists discovered that the tsetse fly is attracted to blue. To reduce the tsetse fly population, blue materials such as flags are being posted close to rivers, lakes and swamps where the flies are commonly found. The flies circle it and land on a black netting attached to it which they can’t see, where they pick up an insecticide. Early monitoring of the success of these targets suggests that they are having a big impact, reducing the fly population by around 90 percent, thus reducing the number of people with sleeping sickness.
How to fight sleeping sickness in Africa? Lure the tsetse fly!
More of Today's Solutions
The DNA database built to protect lions just helped convict the people who ki...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM When conservation biologists fitted a male lion with a radio collar near Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, they ...
Read MoreYou can’t spot-reduce belly fat, but you can lose it. Here’s what...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Every few years, a new product promises to "blast belly fat" or help you target your midsection. None ...
Read MoreWhat the California food additive ban means for the candy industry
In a big step forward for food safety, California recently enacted a new law known as the "Skittles ban." While the nickname may be ...
Read MoreFirst ever titanium heart implanted into a human body
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A combined effort by the Texas Heart Institute (THI), BiVACOR®, Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, and Baylor College ...
Read More
