Quantifying Heterogeneity in Host-Vector Contact: Tsetse (Glossina swynnertoni and G. pallidipes) Host Choice in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Tsetse flies (Glossina swynnertoni and G. pallidipes) exhibit highly selective feeding preferences in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, despite the presence of numerous potential hosts. While warthogs, buffaloes, and giraffes—found at low densities—were overrepresented in tsetse bloodmeals (up to 15 times more than expected), high-density species like wildebeest and zebra were never recorded as hosts. This study is the first to combine molecular analysis of tsetse diets with simultaneous host density assessments, revealing that specific wildlife species drive the epidemiology of Rhodesian human African trypanosomiasis (rHAT) by maintaining and transmitting Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense.

Auty, H., Cleaveland, S., Malele, I., Masoy, J., Lembo, T., Bessell, P., Torr, S., Picozzi, K., & Welburn, S. C. (2016). Quantifying Heterogeneity in Host-Vector Contact: Tsetse (Glossina swynnertoni and G. pallidipes) Host Choice in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Plos One, 11(10), e0161291. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0161291