Diptera (Arthropoda: Insecta) of Potential Importance in Human and Animal Health in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

The insect order Diptera has often been considered as the Medical and Veterinary order, because it contains families that affect humans and animals directly and indirectly. The focus on insect borne diseases in Bayelsa State had been on Malaria, although the contiguous States of Rivers and Delta, with similar vegetation, topography and climate contain foci of other dipteran-borne diseases: Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), lymphatic filariasis (LF) but none of these had been extensively studied in Bayelsa State. It was therefore decided to investigate the occurrence of dipterans of potential importance in human and animal health in Bayelsa State. Five sites, three in freshwater swamp forest (Sagbama, Odi, Sampou) and two in the mangrove swamp forest (Nembe, Igopiri) were selected. The Challier-Laveissiere biconical trap and the Malaise trap were used. Collections were over a 7-month period. A total of 1311 species in 6 families: Musccidae (1142), Culicidae (118), Calliphoridae (35), Tabanidae (13), Glossinidae (2), Oestridae (1) were caught in freshwater mangrove forests. In the freshwater swamp forest, a total of 1014 were collected; the six families were recorded at Sampou, only 3 families at Odi, while 2 families were recorded at Sagbama. In the mangrove swamp forest, only 5 families: Muscidae (244), Tabanidae (07), Culicidae (28), Glossinidae (1), Calliphoridae (15). The implications of these results with respect to human and animal health for action by the Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Natural Resources are discussed.