The sterile atomic fly, one kind of sterile insect technique, is an innovative solution to the problem of sleeping sickness, and is being developed by the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Sleeping sickness or African trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease in humans. Caused by protozoa of genus Trypanosoma and transmitted by the Tsetse fly, the disease is endemic in certain regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, covering about 36 countries and 60 million people. It is estimated that 300,000 - 500,000 people are infected, and about 40,000 die every year. Three major epidemics have occurred in the past hundred years, in 1896 - 1906, 1920, and 1970.

Studies of the tsetse fly show that females generally only mate once in their lifetimes and very rarely mate a second time. Once a female fly has mated, she can then produce continual offspring throughout her short life.

Using this information, the International Atomic Energy Agency has developed a process of irradiating male Tsetse flies that have been specially bred. This process of irradiation sterilizes the male. These sterilized male flies are then released into areas where Sleeping sickness is prevalent, and then mate with the females. Because the male is sterile, and the females mate only once, the population of Tsetse flies in the affected area will drop. Studies have shown that this process has been very effective in preventing Sleeping sickness in people who live in the area.

Since sleeping sickness can lead to sickness and death (if not cured medically), the release of sterile atomic flies into affected areas leads to greater levels of health and economic activity.

External links

• BBC Online article
• Plan to Eradicate the Tsetse Fly
• An atomic-powered plan to end sleeping sickness