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DISEASES TRANSMITTED BY THE HEMATOPHAGOUS FLIES. Within all the fly species, there are the hematophagous flies that are ectoparasite insects which feed on other animals or persons' blood using a biting mouth system apparatus and a device placed on the head used to sting their victims. The Tsetsé Fly It is a group of 23 African flies of the Glossina genus and they are all named the same; they are abundant in Central Africa forests, rivers and lakes shores. These species of flies are studied because they transmit a mortal parasite causing the Sleeping disease (Rhodesia) among persons and the Nagana disease among the cattle, horses and goats in the south of Africa. The trypanosome parasites are absorbed by the insect when it bites the infected person, introducing it into other persons as they keep stinging. When the animals are continuously affected by the Nagana they can get to be immunized themselves against it. This disease is one of most devastating of all the diseases on the African continent, mainly in the central zone, with a 80% deaths among the victims, killing annually about three millions cattle. Besides, these parasites affect the poorest population of the planet, creating an economic loss in the meat and milk production.
The tsetse flies belong to the group of the hematophagous flies.
The Sand Fly They are very tiny and they bite and are important vectors of many human diseases, including the kala-azar or dumdum fever, the Eastern button and the tertiary fevers. These flies come from the tropical and subtropical regions. The females possess a drilling mouth system and they feed mainly on the mammals blood, biting especially during the night, contrary to what the males do, which is feeding themselves on the plants nectar. They grow in humid, shaded and mossy lands. The best known Sand Fly species is the one that transmits the virus of the disease called Tertiary Fever and Changres's Fever. The symptoms are similar to Dengue, but rarely provokes death, although it incapacitates its victims from one to nine days. This takes place mainly in Asia Minor, in the South of Asia and Europe and in the North of Africa. This fly is carrying the disease once it has ingested contaminated blood. Moreover it is believed that the female transmits the virus to its babies.
These small flies transmit many diseases by their bite. Horselfly It is an insect of the order of Dipterans, well-known for the pain that causes its sting. Only the females can sting in order to feed with blood and they need a food rich in proteins, to attend to the needs of nutrients during laying the eggs. In its search for food it finds its way by silhouettes and smells; for that reason the horsefly females are more attracted to people wearing dark clothes and to animals whose layer is dark, mainly if they sweat a lot, than to people and animals in light colours. Males feed on plant juices. Larvae settle themselves in water soaked soils, where they feed on other insects. In African zones some species transmit the Loasis, which affects millions of persons.
The horseflies females are the ones who sting. The Stables Fly Both males and females feed on blood sucked from the farm animals inside the buildings of the battery farm. They settle themselves around the milk cattle feeding trough, rest areas and stables. They prefer the sunny exterior areas such as piled forage, manure mixed with straw, etc. They usually do not breed inside the buildings. When they feed, flies usually place themselves on the inferior parts of the animals, especially on the lower half of the legs. These flies attack people as easy as cattle do.
These flies do not only attack animals in the stables, but people, too. Horns Fly
It is a small fly
that lays their eggs mainly in cattle, feeding itself by biting and
sucking the blood from its victims; this results in worry and nuisance to
the cattle. Coming from South America, it has spread over different
zones. In order to reproduce it only needs the cattle dung,
where it lays its eggs. When it feeds on the bovine animals, either during
the day or during the night, it causes irritation and unease, preventing
the animals from calmly feeding and resting. This produces a weight
decrease effect and it also decreases the milk production in the cows. The use of
pests control methods to
eradicate these flies is very useful and thus the posible economic damages
can be avoided.
This fly is original from South America, though lately times it has spread all over the world.
If you want to read our other articles on the flies, mosquitoes and wasps exterminators as well as some curiosities on these flying insects, click below.
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