The effectiveness of permethrin-impregnated bed nets against malaria for migrant workers in eastern Thailand

Abstract

A randomized, double-blind, field trial was carried out to compare the effectiveness of permethrin-treated bed nets with that of untreated nets as a method of malaria control for migrant workers in eastern Thailand. The study was conducted using 261 subjects in eastern rural areas that are known to be highly endemic for multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum infection. One hundred twenty-six subjects used treated nets, while 135 used untreated nets. During the 35 weeks of observation, 23 subjects using treated nets and 33 workers using untreated nets developed 28 and 51 episodes of malaria, respectively (P = 0.029). The reduction in risk per subject due to treated nets was 0.06. The residual effects of permethrin were tested using a World Health Organization standard bioassay. Anti-mosquito activity was found to be present in the nets for more than 16 months. We conclude that because of the failure of the development of safe, effective, long-lasting prophylactic agents, integrating the use of impregnated nets with large-scale primary health care programs may be a partially effective method for controlling malaria in eastern Thailand.