Application of Remote Sensing technology in detecting the ecological distribution of the house fly, Musca domestica L. with respect to trachoma disease infection in El- Fayoum Governorate, Egypt

Abstract

Our study aimed to alert our society about the role played by Musca domestica L. in carrying and transmitting Chlamydia trachomatis, the causative organism of trachoma disease in Egypt. Measuring of different environmental variables were derived from RapidEye and Landsat8 satellites imageries included Land Use Land Cover (LULC) and Land Surface Temperature (LST). Application of (RS) and (GIS) may help the decision makers to take a decision about control program for fly borne diseases at right place, time and in right direction. House fly population densities were estimated in fifteen villages representing five administrative centers in Al-Fayoum Governorate and ten sites at Mansheit El- Gammal village. The correlation between some parameters as agriculture, fishing, water supply, garbage management, health activity, community network and education with fly densities and prevalence of C. trachomatis was measured. The highest fly density in Mansheit El- Gammal village was 42.6 ± 9.29 fly/trap while the lowest density was recorded as 6.6 ± 2.08 fly/trap from Terssa village. Wastes as breeding sites for house fly were sorted according to its type and content to four different types, household, slaughterhouse, agriculture and general waste type. C. trachomatis was isolated for the first time in Egypt as twelve isolates from eleven villages at Al-Fayoum Governorate. The molecular studies including PCR method for amplification of MOMP 1 gene region of C. trachomatis and this gene proved to be positive within eleven villages. Keywords: Trachoma - Musca domestica – remote sensing – geographic information system – MOMP 1