This is the VOA SpecialEnglish AGRICULTURE REPORT.
The tsetse (TSEET-see) fly is a serious problem in many parts ofAfrica. Tsetse flies cause problems in an area of almost ten-millionsquare kilometers. The United Nations Food and AgricultureOrganization says some of this area is fertile land that could beused for agriculture. F-A-O officials say stopping the insect wouldhelp African farmers reclaim land and increase food production.
Tsetse flies feed on the blood ofhumans and animals. The fly carries a parasite that attacks theblood and nervous system of its victims. This organism causestrypanosomiasis (tri-PAN-oh-so-MY-ah-sis), a disease known as nagana(nah-GAH-nah) in farm animals. In humans, the disease is calledsleeping sickness.
Trypanosimiasis kills eighty percent of infected victims. Thedisease affects an estimated five-hundred-thousand people. It killsthree-million farm animals each year.
Thirty-seven countries in Africa are affected by tsetse flies.Thirty-two of these countries are among the poorest in the world.Each year, it costs at least six-hundred-million dollars to attemptsto control the disease and in direct losses of meat and milkproduction.
Jorge Hendrichs is an insect control expert with the F-A-O. Hesays the tsetse fly keeps people poor by preventing them fromproducing the food they need to survive. The tsetse fly andtrypanosimiasis have slowed the development of agriculture inAfrica. One-hundred-fifty-five-million cattle are being raised intsetse-free areas south of the Sahara Desert. The area of land thatis tsetse-free is small. It is being overused by both cattle andpeople.
One method that has proved successful in fighting the tsetse isthe sterile insect treatment. Male flies treated with radiationbecome sterile, or unable to reproduce. The insects then arereleased into areas with other flies. After mating, the eggs of thewild females do not develop.
The F-A-O says the sterile insect treatment has been used withtraps and other methods to end the tsetse fly problem on theTanzanian island of Zanzibar. Mister Hendrichs says these effortshave no long-lasting side effects on the environment.
Use of these methods may seem costly, especially in some parts ofAfrica. Yet, Mister Hendrichs says the question is not how much suchmethods cost, but how much living with the tsetse costs.
This VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT was written by GeorgeGrow.