Currently, a vaccine or a drug for prophylaxis against African trypanosomiasis is not available. Preventive measures are therefore aimed at minimizing contact with tse-tse flies.
First, the infested areas should be avoided. The tsetse fly is less active in the hottest hours of the day, but can attack if annoyed. It should be remembered that this insect is attracted to moving objects and bright or dark colors; he can also sting with light clothes. Therefore, it is recommended to wear shirts and trousers that cover the limbs as much as possible; in particular, clothes of resistant material and neutral colors that blend in with the environment are to be preferred. The application of repellents on clothes can also be useful. Swarms of tse-tse flies can follow moving vehicles, so it is preferable to close the car windows to prevent them from invading the cabin.
The fight against the vector insect can be carried out at an environmental level with the destruction of habitats for reproduction, the use of insecticides and traps (better if impregnated with permethrin) in the shelter sites for tse-tse flies (savannah scrub) and vegetation along the watercourses) and the treatment of the parasitized subjects (source of infection for the carriers).
