Yaounde Initiative Foundation» blackfly control

Keeping the number of blackflies down

Graham Matthews — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 11:25:00 +0000

The Yaounde initiative has been continuing to treat parts of the Sanaga River between Edea and Monatele to keep the numbers of blackflies as low as possible while minimising the number of treatments of larvicide in the river. The data for 2012 and early 2013 show that where the river was treated the number of flies was generally below 50 blackflies per trap per day in contrast to upstream where the number of flies per trap were between 120 and 230 per trap per day. In 2012, the river was treated four times [starting 16^th March; 27^th April; 13^th; July, 9^thNovember] and twice in 2013 [starting 25^th January and 22^nd March] on the basis of action thesholds rather than calendar spraying. This frequency contrasts with the weekly spraying done during the 25 year Onchocerciasis Control Programme over most parts of west Africa.

Could odours be the solution to blackfly control?

Graham Matthews — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:35:36 +0000

The Yaounde Initiative Foundation has been carrying out field research in Cameroon in collaboration with the UK-based Natural Resources Institute (NRI) to see whether natural odours might be the key to cheaper and more environmentally safe blackfly control. Inaki Tirados of NRI and YIF staff put people and cattle into different tents, sucked out the odours, and measured how much they attracted blackflies. If the trials show a strong attraction, it might be possible to copy the Tsetse fly control method where insecticide is only sprayed onto targets, rather than sprayed over large areas, and the odours are used to attract blackflies to the targets. When the fly lands on a target it is killed.

YIF Directors meet Cameroon Deputy High Commissioner

Terry Wiles — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:42:30 +0000

The Cameroon Deputy High Commissioner, Mr Denis Nyuydzewira, joined YIF Directors, Terry Wiles, Graham Matthews and Hans Dobson for a lunchtime meeting at the Farmer’s Club in Whitehall Court on Wednesday 9 November 2011. We have always enjoyed good relations with the High Commission staff, but this was the first opportunity to talk in detail about technical and development issues in Cameroon. Mr Nyuydzewira was briefed on the Libamba development project, blackfly control work, and malaria mosquito management. He expressed interest in finding ways to develop coffee and livestock production in Cameroon. We agreed to keep him informed on YIF activities, and to try to schedule visits to Cameroon for the next time he returns home on leave. The mutual agreement was that we should seek ways to build on the productive Cameroonian/British collaboration over the past 8 years in order to expand the developmental impact even further in Cameroon and beyond.

Update on blackfly control on the the Sanaga River

Graham Matthews — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 11:09:28 +0000

Many of the people who lived near the Sanaga River have moved out of the area due to the severity of the biting by blackflies (Simulium spp.). Those that remain have a high incidence of onchocerciasis (river blindness) and agricultural productivity is adversely affected by the constant biting of the flies.
The larvae of blackflies need highly oxygenated water found where there are natural rapids where the river is flowing over rocks, creating ‘white water’. A major source is where there are rapids such as near the village of Kikot. The problem of blackflies is also very severe near the hydro-electric dams as the spillways provide man made areas of ‘white water’.

YIF has been treating the river with a chemical to kill the larvae and this has significantly reduced the population of the flies. Instead of continuously treating the river upstream of these areas of ‘white water’ , the number of flies is monitored by placing plastic traps covered with glue on which flies land and become stuck, so that treatments are resumed only when the blackfly population has increased to a critical level.
After treatment blackfly larvae from upstream and smaller streams entering the Sanaga river mean that the number of flies biting people always increases after a treatment, but it is hoped that by treating areas further upstream the frequency of treatments can be decreased. Research is also needed into alternative methods of control.

New book on Integrated Vector Management in press

Graham Matthews — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:34:51 +0000

The most recent book by Professor Graham Matthews – YIF Technical Director – is entitled ‘Integrated Vector Management’ and is due to be published by Wiley-Blackwell mid-2011. It covers the use of different control techniques for insect vectors of human disease with chapters on the diseases transmitted by insect vectors, the types of insecticide, and application technologies. In particular, the use of indoor residual spraying (IRS), space treatments, larviciding and bednets. The primary focus is the integration of these technologies with non-chemical methods such as drainage of breeding sites and house improvements to prevent the entry of vectors.

Sanaga River blackfly control project continues

Graham Matthews — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 11:23:49 +0000

The Yaounde Initiative Foundation (YIF) is carrying out blackfly control on a part of the Sanaga River, funded by AES Sonel, an American/Cameroonian company which generates and distributes hydro-electricity in Cameroon. The numbers of blackflies have decreased from a very high level that was preventing workers carrying out their duties, and preventing rural populations farming and fishing, to almost zero.

YIF signs convention with MINSANTE

Terry Wiles — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 11:27:26 +0000

The Yaounde Initiative Foundation has signed a ‘Convention’ with the Ministry of Public Health to carry out vector control operations on its behalf in Cameroon. As part of this convention, YIF has also been designated as the organisation to test new public health pesticides in the country, and to carry out epidemiological, entomological and ecotoxicological evaluations.