A study of host preference in tsetse flies using a modified heteroduplex PCR-based method

• Published in: Acta tropica Vol. 91; no. 2; pp. 117 - 120
• Main Authors: Njiokou, F, Simo, G, Mbida Mbida, A, Truc, P, Cuny, G, Herder, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.07.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Wild - blood; Animals, Wild - genetics; Biological and medical sciences; Bloodmeals; Cameroon; DNA - chemistry; DNA - genetics; Feeding Behavior; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glossina palpalis palpalis; Glossina spp; Heteroduplex analysis; Humans; Insect Vectors - growth & development; Insect Vectors - physiology; Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control; PCR; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prospective Studies; Tsetse Flies - growth & development; Tsetse Flies - physiology; Vectors. Intermediate hosts; Wild animals; Cameroon; Glossina spp; Heteroduplex analysis; Wild animals; Bloodmeals; PCR; Protozoal disease; Insecta; Parasitosis; Wild animal; African sickness; Infection; Heteroduplex; Polymerase chain reaction; Glossina palpalis; Preference; Arthropoda; Tropical medicine; Glossinidae; Molecular biology; Invertebrata; Trypanosomiasis; Vector; Diptera
• ISSN: 0001-706X; 1873-6254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2004.03.006

A study of host preference in tsetse flies using a modified heteroduplex PCR-based method is described. Domestic and wild animal blood samples were collected to extract the corresponding reference DNAs. In Campo (south Cameroon), tsetse flies (mainly Glossina palpalis palpalis) were trapped and 41 bloodmeals were collected. All reference DNAs and 37 bloodmeal DNAs (90.7%) were successfully amplified and hybridised. Twelve bloodmeals (32.4%) were of human origin, 13 (35.4%) were from Sitatunga ( Tragelaphus spekei) (an antelope) while 12 (32.4%) were not identified using our set of reference DNAs. The results confirmed the occurrence of frequent contacts between wild animals and this population of tsetse flies.