Tsetse flies are members of the order Diptera, the true flies. They belong to the superfamily Hippoboscoidea, in which the tsetse's family, the Glossinidae, is one of four families of blood-feeding obligate parasites.

Sep 10, 2024 · If you recently traveled to east or west Africa and were bitten by a tsetse fly, you could have sleeping sickness. Some people who have sleeping sickness develop a red sore, called a chancre, within two days to two weeks of an infected tsetse fly bite but chancres are not always present or noticed.

Feb 27, 2025 · tsetse fly, (genus Glossina), any of about two to three dozen species of bloodsucking flies in the housefly family, Muscidae (order Diptera), that occur only in Africa and transmit sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis) in humans and a similar disease called nagana in domestic animals.

African sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis) is a disease caused by a parasite. It is passed on by the bite of the infected tsetse fly. What causes African sleeping sickness? There are 2 types of the disease. They are named for the areas of Africa where they are found.

Nov 5, 2024 · Get ready to explore one of Africa's most notorious insects: the tsetse fly. These tiny flies may not look like much, but they play a major role in spreading sleeping sickness, aka human African trypanosomiasis (HAT).

May 2, 2023 · Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is caused by protozoan parasites transmitted by infected tsetse flies. It is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Without treatment, HAT is generally fatal.

Mar 25, 2024 · The best way to prevent sleeping sickness is to avoid contact with the tsetse fly. If you're traveling to sub-Saharan Africa, and specifically regions where sleeping sickness is common, residents may be able to provide advice about places infested with the …

Sep 14, 2023 · Trypanosomiasis is a parasitic infection that spreads through the bites of tsetse flies in equatorial Africa. Early symptoms include swollen bumps around the bite, a fever, and muscle and joint pain. Advanced symptoms cause confusion and trouble walking, and make it difficult to stay awake.

Jan 31, 2025 · Your risk of infection increases with the number of times you are bitten by the tsetse fly. This is because most flies are not infective. Tsetse flies that spread sleeping sickness are found only in sub-Saharan Africa.

Tsetse (pronounced ‘ tseh-tseh ‘) are medium-sized biting flies that inhabit much of tropical Africa and live by feeding on the blood of animals. Tsetse flies are so medically significant that they’re named twice, and are sometimes referred to as tik-tik flies.