ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2020
Responses of the putative trachoma vector, Musca sorbens, to volatile semiochemicals from human faeces.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Advances and Prospects in Odour-based Management of Filth Flies.Journal of chemical ecology · 2026Review
- Insights into Pathogenesis of Trachoma.Microorganisms · 2024Review
- AboutPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Trachoma and the Importance of Sexual Infective Route in Developed Countries. Comment on Gallenga et al. Why the SAFE-Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Review
- Why the SAFE-Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Population Prevalence of Trachoma in Nine Rural Non-Indigenous Evaluation Units of Brazil.Ophthalmic epidemiology · 2023Article
- Prevalence of Trachoma in 72 Districts of Afghanistan in 2018-2019: Results of 35 Population-based Prevalence Surveys.Ophthalmic epidemiology · 2023Article
- Prevalence of Trachoma in Pre-validation Surveillance Surveys in 11 Evaluation Units (Covering 12 Districts) in Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia: Results from 2018-2020.Ophthalmic epidemiology · 2023Article
- Evaluation of facial cleanliness and environmental improvement activities: Lessons learned from Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2021Article
- Analysis of volatiles from feces of released Przewalski's horse (Equus przewalskii) in Gasterophilus pecorum (Diptera: Gasterophilidae) spawning habitat.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Towards an odour-baited trap to control Musca sorbens, the putative vector of trachoma.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Flies as possible vectors of inflammatory trachoma transmission in a Brazilian municipality.Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo · 2021Article
- Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
19 authors at 6 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
The putative vector of trachoma, Musca sorbens, prefers to lay its eggs on human faeces on the ground. This study sought to determine whether M. sorbens females were attracted to volatile odours from human faeces in preference to odours from the faeces of other animals, and to determine whether specific volatile semiochemicals mediate selection of the faeces. Traps baited with the faeces of humans and local domestic animals were used to catch flies at two trachoma-endemic locations in The Gambia and one in Ethiopia. At all locations, traps baited with faeces caught more female M. sorbens than control traps baited with soil, and human faeces was the most successful bait compared with soil (mean rate ratios 44.40, 61.40, 10.50 [P<0.001]; 8.17 for child faeces [P = 0.004]). Odours from human faeces were sampled by air entrainment, then extracts of the volatiles were tested by coupled gas chromatography-electroantennography with laboratory-reared female M. sorbens. Twelve compounds were electrophysiologically active and tentatively identified by coupled mass spectrometry-gas chromatography, these included cresol, indole, 2-methylpropanoic acid, butanoic acid, pentanoic acid and hexanoic acid. It is possible that some of these volatiles govern the strong attraction of M. sorbens flies to human faeces. If so, a synthetic blend of these chemicals, at the correct ratios, may prove to be a highly attractive lure. This could be used in odour-baited traps for monitoring or control of this species in trachoma-endemic regions.
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Registered trials
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