Tsetse Flies and the Thirst For Blood
by Daniella Hernandez
The Dracula Prize goes to Glossina palpalis tsetse flies, which were also in the running for the Fewest Kids in a Lifetime Prize. These bloodsuckers live in African forests and are a tremendous public health concern. They are difficult to manage and are the primary carriers of human African sleeping sickness, a central nervous system infection, prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa.
They feed on mammals, reptiles and birds. They don’t bother to identify their hosts by smell, as other insects do. When they see a potential victim, they go right in for the blood draw…
(read more: Wired Science) (Image via Wikimedia Commons)
Tsetse Flies and the Thirst For Blood
by Daniella Hernandez
The Dracula Prize goes to Glossina palpalis tsetse flies, which were also in the running for the Fewest Kids in a Lifetime Prize. These bloodsuckers live in African forests and are a tremendous public health concern. They are difficult to manage and are the primary carriers of human African sleeping sickness, a central nervous system infection, prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa.
They feed on mammals, reptiles and birds. They don’t bother to identify their hosts by smell, as other insects do. When they see a potential victim, they go right in for the blood draw…
(read more: Wired Science) (Image via Wikimedia Commons)
Posted 3 months ago 11 notes View high resolution
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ecdysozoa reblogged this from rhamphotheca and added:
Interesting, I was thinking...doing my parasitology project
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