Tsetse and Other Biting Flies in Five Districts of Kaura Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria

A survey of tsetse and other biting flies in Kaura LGA of Kaduna State was under taken. The study was undertaken to determine the presence of tsetse flies, species, their infection rate, distribution and other biting flies in the study area. The study was carried out between September and November, 2010. A total of six sampling sites were considered. The same number of traps was deployed in each sampling site during the study period. Twenty biconical and NITSE traps were used for trapping tsetse flies. A total of 104 biting flies were caught. These were made up of 32 tsetse flies, 55 Tabanus, 14 Stomoxys and 3 Chrysops species. Out of the 32 tsetse flies, 28 were identified to be Glossina palpalis (16 females and 12 males), while 4 were G. tachinoides (3 females and 1 male). The result of fly dissection showed 3 (9.4%) flies were infected with trypanosomes. Out of this number, 2(6.3%) were female G. p. palpalis and 1(3.2%) was a female G. tachinoides, all infected with T. vivax. The implication of this finding is that the preponderance of tsetse flies and other haematophagous flies, with potentials as mechanical transmitters of T. vivax, could indicate a high likelihood of trypanosomiasis in the study area.