Scientists have cracked the genetic code of the bloodsucking tsetse fly, prompting hope for a breakthrough of controlling the devastating livestock diseases in sub-Saharan Africa spread by the insect, the International Atomic Energy agency (IAEA) announced on Thursday.

The achievement allows scientists to better study the fly's genes and their functions, opening a door for researching ways to control the insect.

Found only in Africa, tsetse flies spread disease that affects some 3 million animals in the region each year at massive costs to farmers' livelihoods and food security.

The disease leads to a debilitating chronic condition that reduces fertility, weight gain, meat and milk production, and makes livestock too weak to be used for ploughing or transport, which in turn affects crop production.

Humans bitten by carrier flies can develop African sleeping sickness, which can be fatal without treatment.

The tsetse genome was sequenced and annotated during a 10-year international collaborative effort that involved the Insect Pest Control Laboratory run jointly by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and IAEA in Vienna.