Tsetse fly

World's Most Dangerous Fly

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• published: 05 Jun 2014
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Most Dangerous and Deadly fly in the World. Be wary of an attack by a tsetse fly, for their life cycles may be short but deadly. This may look like your common housefly, but be careful--it takes thousands of lives every year. What is it? Tsetse fly documentaries show that they're an aggressive, biting fly that feeds on the blood of other animals. They're characterized by having wings that fold completely on top of each other and have long, tubular mouths (called a proboscis) that are attached by a bulb at the bottom of the head. They are also known as tim-tik flies. Where are they located? Tsetse flies are known to give birth in mid-continental Africa between the Sahara and Kalahari deserts. How will it kill you? These flies are notorious for transmitting deadly diseases, primarily trypanosoma, otherwise known as the African sleeping sickness. When an infected tsetse fly bites you, it injects the trypanosoma parasite into your lymphatic system, then progresses onward to your bloodstream. It eventually crosses your central nervous system and invades your brain, leading to lethargy and eventual death. How to survive: If you've found yourself bit a tsetse fly, go to a hospital as soon as possible. There you'll be treated depending on which stage of trypanosomiasis you're encountering. Those still in the first stage will be administered one of two lower toxicity drugs: either Pentamidine or Suramin. Those in the second, later stage of trypanosomiasis will receive either Melarsoprol, Eflornithine, or a combination treatment of Eflornithine and Nifurtimox. If left untreated, you'll begin to feel weaker and weaker until you can't even stand on your own. You will then die due to the trypanosoma parasite taking over your body. So can you guess how many people are killed by the tsetse fly every year? On average, 9,000 people are killed every year due to the tsetse fly transmitting the trypanosoma parasite into their bodies--many of which occurred from a lack of treatment due to the illness's deceptive symptoms. So would you rather be bit a tsetse fly? Or encounter a violent tornado?