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
Europe’s low-carbon future: Denmark’s North Sea oil field is now a carb...
Once a symbol of fossil fuel extraction, the remote Nini oil field in the North Sea is preparing for a new role: storing millions ...
Read MoreGrace Richardson makes history as first openly gay Miss England: ‘I’ve achiev...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM When Grace Richardson took the stage at the Miss England final in Wolverhampton, she wasn’t just chasing a ...
Read MoreWorld’s first hydrogen-powered cargo vessel to set sail in Paris this year
In a world's first, a commercial hydrogen-powered cargo vessel will make its maiden voyage later this year. Developed by French shipowner Compagnie Fluvial Transport ...
Read MoreA guide to self-kindness: transforming negative self-talk into positive affir...
As we go through the motions of daily life, it's tempting to listen to our inner critic's constant commentary. Negative self-talk, or the constant ...
Read More
