'Antelope perfume' keeps flies away from cows.

'Antelope perfume' keeps flies away from cows.Researchers involved in research shows how the tsetse fly can be tricked in Africa In Africa, tsetse flies transfer the sleeping sickness also to cattle. The damage is estimated to be about 4.6 billion US dollars each year. Experts have developed an innovative way of preventing the disease. Tsetse flies avoid waterbucks, a widespread antelope species in Africa. The scientists imitated the smell of these antelopes.If the cattle were equipped with collars containing the defense agent, more than 80 percent of the cattle were spared from the feared infection. Tsetse flies are widespread in Africa. They feed on blood and can transfer the dreaded sleeping sickness. The infection can be lethal and damages the nervous system and, in the final stage, causes a dozy state, which gave the disease its name. Many people in tropical Africa are directly endangered, but the transfer to cattle also has drastic consequences for agriculture by reducing the production of milk, meat and labor.