Vol. 11 No. 1 (2020): PREVALENCE AND INFECTION RATES OF TSETSE FLIES CAPTURED FROM SELECTED COMMUNITIES WITHIN KAGARKO LGA, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Tsetse flies are large, biting and blood feeding flies of huge economic and veterinary importance due to their role in transmitting Trypanosoma spp that causes Trypanosomiasis. This study was carried out, to establish the presence of Tsetse flies and Trypanosoma spp status of the captured flies in the study area using standard biconical traps. A total of 47 Tsetse flies were caught. Sixteen [34.04%] out of the forty-seven flies were male while thirty-one were female representing 31[65.96%] and nine died out of the [47] which was the mortality representing 9[19.15%]. Of the 47 flies, 38 were dissected and identification of Trypanosomes was done by direct observation of dissected organs under a microscope. Thirteen of the thirty-eight dissected flies were found with Trypanosoma spp representing 13 [34.21%]. Nine out of the twenty-four dissected female flies were found with Trypanosomes representing 9[23.68%], while only four of the fourteen dissected male flies were found with Trypanosomes representing 4[10.53%]. The study discovered the presence of Tsetse flies of the group Glossina palpalis palpalis with more female flies captured and 13 out of 38 of the flies were infected with Trypanosoma spp, T. vivax, 7(53.85%), T. congolense, 5[38.46%], and T. brucei, 1[7.69%]. The presence of parasites in captured flies suggests the possibility of transmission of these parasites to humans and livestock residing within Kagarko Local Government Area, as well as those on grazing movements with their cows.