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      The Sequential Aerosol Technique: A Major Component in an Integrated Strategy of Intervention against Riverine Tsetse in Ghana

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          Abstract

          Background

          An integrated strategy of intervention against tsetse flies was implemented in the Upper West Region of Ghana (9.62°–11.00° N, 1.40°–2.76° W), covering an area of ≈18,000 km 2 within the framework of the Pan-African Tsetse and Trypanosomosis Eradication Campaign. Two species were targeted: Glossina tachinoides and Glossina palpalis gambiensis.

          Methodology/Principal Findings

          The objectives were to test the potentiality of the sequential aerosol technique (SAT) to eliminate riverine tsetse species in a challenging subsection (dense tree canopy and high tsetse densities) of the total sprayed area (6,745 km 2) and the subsequent efficacy of an integrated strategy including ground spraying (≈100 km 2), insecticide treated targets (20,000) and insecticide treated cattle (45,000) in sustaining the results of tsetse suppression in the whole intervention area. The aerial application of low-dosage deltamethrin aerosols (0.33–0.35 g a.i/ha) was conducted along the three main rivers using five custom designed fixed-wings Turbo thrush aircraft. The impact of SAT on tsetse densities was monitored using 30 biconical traps deployed from two weeks before until two weeks after the operations. Results of the SAT monitoring indicated an overall reduction rate of 98% (from a pre-intervention mean apparent density per trap per day (ADT) of 16.7 to 0.3 at the end of the fourth and last cycle). One year after the SAT operations, a second survey using 200 biconical traps set in 20 sites during 3 weeks was conducted throughout the intervention area to measure the impact of the integrated control strategy. Both target species were still detected, albeit at very low densities (ADT of 0.27 inside sprayed blocks and 0.10 outside sprayed blocks).

          Conclusions/Significance

          The SAT operations failed to achieve elimination in the monitored section, but the subsequent integrated strategy maintained high levels of suppression throughout the intervention area, which will contribute to improving animal health, increasing animal production and fostering food security.

          Author Summary

          We document the impact of an integrated strategy of intervention against riverine tsetse flies in the Upper West Region of Ghana within the framework of the Pan-African Tsetse and Trypanosomosis Eradication Campaign, in an area of ≈18,000 km 2. The strategy included a sequential aerosol technique (SAT) component, i.e. four applications of low-dosage deltamethrin aerosols, conducted along the three main rivers. The impact of SAT on tsetse densities was monitored in a challenging subsection (dense tree canopy and high tsetse densities) from two weeks before until two weeks after the operations. The SAT operations succeeded in reducing tsetse populations by 98% within one month but fell short of achieving elimination. Insecticide ground spraying, deltamethrin-treated targets and cattle were used as complementary tools to maintain tsetse suppression in the intervention area. An entomological survey conducted one year after SAT operations showed that both target species were still present, albeit at drastically reduced densities as compared to the baseline levels. This integrated strategy of intervention will contribute to improving animal health, increasing animal production and fostering food security in the target area.

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          Author and article information

          Contributors
          Role: Editor
          Journal
          PLoS Negl Trop Dis
          PLoS Negl Trop Dis
          plos
          plosntds
          PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
          Public Library of Science (San Francisco, USA )
          1935-2727
          1935-2735
          March 2013
          14 March 2013
          : 7
          : 3
          : e2135
          Affiliations
          [1 ]Veterinary Services Department of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Pong-Tamale, Ghana
          [2 ]Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Animal Production and Health Division, Rome, Italy
          [3 ]Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Veterinary Services, Maun, Botswana
          [4 ]Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerpen, Belgium
          [5 ]Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
          [6 ]Veterinary Services Department of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Accra, Ghana
          [7 ]Unité Mixte de Recherche Contrôles des Maladies Animales et Emergentes, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, Montpellier, France
          [8 ]Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles, Laboratoire National d'Elevage et de Recherches Vétérinaires, Dakar, Sénégal
          National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, United States of America
          Author notes

          The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

          Conceived and designed the experiments: YA GC PMK CIM MA RM JB. Performed the experiments: YA PMK CIM MA. Analyzed the data: YA GC PMK TM BA MP JB. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: YA GC PMK TM CIM MA JB. Wrote the paper: YA GC PMK TM CIM RM JB.

          Article
          PNTD-D-12-00356
          10.1371/journal.pntd.0002135
          3597491
          23516662
          3c313ee1-675f-489c-ba7b-03d917017991
          Copyright @ 2013

          This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

          History
          : 20 March 2012
          : 9 February 2013
          Page count
          Pages: 9
          Funding
          The work was funded by the Pan-African Tsetse and Trypanosomosis Eradication Campaign/Ghana and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) (project GCP/RAF/442/IFA). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
          Categories
          Research Article
          Agriculture
          Pest Control
          Integrated Control
          Medicine
          Infectious Diseases
          Neglected Tropical Diseases
          African Trypanosomiasis
          Veterinary Science
          Veterinary Diseases
          Zoonotic Diseases
          Trypanosomiasis

          Infectious disease & Microbiology
          Infectious disease & Microbiology

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