Genetic variation in tsetse flies and implications for trypanosomiasis.

The role of tsetse flies in the transmission of trypanosomes has been known for nearly 100 years, their economic and public health impact justifying much of the research. About 20 years ago, no genetic variants of tsetses were known but the discovery of six visible mutants and the application o f protein electrophoretic techniques have changed the situation. During the intervening years many techniques have been developed to study the biology of the approximately 30 known species and subspecies of Glossina. Here, Ron Gooding summarizes recent developments in the estimation o f genetic variation in tsetse populations and speculates on the implications of this variation to population structure, vectorial capacity and disease control strategies.