Dose and cycle of insecticide applications in the control of malaria

Abstract

The authors first review the doses and cycles of application normally recommended in different parts of the world for DDT, BHC, and dieldrin in controlling malaria, and then discuss the experimental evidence concerning their actual efficacy in the field. The irritant effect of the various insecticides is compared, DDT being found the most irritant and dieldrin the least. BHC appears to be highly irritant when solid, but not when vaporized. The problem of the application of residual insecticides to absorbent surfaces, such as mud, is considered; the wettable powders are generally accepted as the most efficient formulation for such surfaces, but even with these a marked loss in toxicity may occur, requiring higher initial doses and more frequent application than on non-absorbent surfaces. With volatile insecticides, such as BHC, some degree of absorption slows down the loss by volatilization, but at the usual field dosages of 0.1 g and 0.2 g of gamma-BHC per m(2) the decline in toxicity is still rapid. Experiments have also shown that mixtures of DDT and BHC may, in some circumstances, combine the initial high kill of the latter with the persistent moderate kill of the former.Considering the insecticidal efficiency needed for the control of malaria, the authors find that most natural circumstances would be met by attaining a mortality-rate of about 65% of mosquitos entering treated shelters; 85% mortality would be suitable for the most severe conditions and 65% mortality for controlling moderate transmission by endophilic mosquitos.