A machine learning approach to integrating genetic and ecological data in tsetse flies (Glossina pallidipes) for spatially explicit vector control planning
Anusha Bishop, Giuseppe Amatulli, Chaz Hyseni, Evlyn Pless, Rosemary Bateta, Winnie Okeyo, Paul Mireji, Sylvance Okoth, Imna Malele, Grace Murilla, Serap Aksoy & Norah Saarman
Introduction - Control of vector populations is an effective strategy for addressing vector-borne disease transmission. Effective vector control requires knowledge of habitat use and connectivity. Our goal was to improve this knowledge for the tsetse species Glossina pallidipes, a vector of animal African trypanosomiasis, which is a wasting disease in livestock and represents a serious socioeconomic burden across sub-Saharan Africa. Methods and Results - We used random forest regression to: (i) Build and integrate models...