Comparing trap designs and methods for assessing density of synanthropic flies in Odisha, India

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Melissa Bell, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Seth Irish, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Wolf Peter Schmidt, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Soumya Nayak, Xavier Institute of Management; Thomas Clasen, Emory University; Mary Cameron, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
• Language: English
• Date: 2019-02-07
• Publisher: BMC (part of Springer Nature)
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2019 The Author(s).
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13071-019-3324-z
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Parasites and Vectors
• ISSN: 1756-3305
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 75
• End Page: 75
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, grant no. OPP1008048.
• Keywords: SAMPLING DENSITY; CHRYSOMYA-MEGACEPHALA; STICKY-FLYTRAP METHOD; Science & Technology; Trap design; TRANSMISSION; PIT LATRINES; Tropical Medicine; Musca domestica; Musca sorbens; MUSCIDAE; HOUSE-FLY POPULATIONS; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Parasitology; MUSCA-DOMESTICA DIPTERA; India; Synanthropic flies; BAITS; SCUDDER GRILL
• Research Categories: Biology, Parasitology; Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Hygiene

Abstract

Background: There are many different traps available for studying fly populations. The aim of this study was to find the most suitable trap to collect synanthropic fly populations to assess the impact of increased latrine coverage in the state of Odisha, India. Methods: Different baits were assessed for use in sticky pot traps (60% sucrose solution, 60 g dry sucrose, half a tomato and an non-baited control), followed by different colours of trap (blue versus yellow) and finally different types of trap (baited sticky pot trap versus sticky card traps). The experiments were undertaken in a semi-urban slum area of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha. The first experiment was conducted in 16 households over 30 nights while experiments 2 and 3 were conducted in 5 households over 30 nights. Results: The traps predominantly caught adult Musca domestica and M. sorbens (78.4, 62.6, 83.8% combined total in experiments 1-3 respectively). Non-baited traps did not catch more flies (median 7.0, interquartile range, IQR: 0.0-24.0) compared with baited traps (sucrose solution: 6.5, 1.0-27.0; dry sucrose: 5.0, 0.5-14.5; tomato: 5.0, 1.5-17.5). However, there were significantly more flies collected on blue sticky pot traps, which caught nearly three times as many flies as yellow sticky pot traps (Incidence Rate Ratio, IRR = 2.91; 95% CI: 1.77-4.79); P < 0.001). Sticky card traps (27, 8-58) collected significantly more flies than the non-baited sticky pot traps (10, 1.5-30.5). Conclusions: Blue sticky card traps can be recommended for the capture of synanthropic fly species as they are non-intrusive to residents, easy to use, readily allow for species identification, and collect sufficient quantities of flies over 12 hours for use in monitoring and control programmes.