Abstract
Reasons for dissatisfaction with insecticidal control of disease vectors include their presumed harmfulness to non-target organisms, their cost and difficulties of organizing effective spraying programmes and physiological and behavioural resistance in vector populations. The validity of these objections and possible ways of resolving them are discussed. The importance of assessing the actual field impact of cases where resistance has been detected with laboratory tests is stressed. With regard to behavioural resistance, some data are presented on tests for genetic variation in the tendency of mosquitoes to rest outdoors and hence to avoid contact with sprayed walls. Most of the failures of insecticidal control of vectors can be attributed, not to problems of resistance, but to organizational difficulties. The impregnation of mosquito bed nets with pyrethroids, which householders can do for themselves, is therefore being field tested in several parts of the world. Such impregnation makes nets effective even when they are torn. This method will probably be particularly advantageous against mosquitoes which enter houses to feed, but do not rest on walls.
Résumé
Les raisons de mécontentement dans l’utilisation des insecticides pour le contrôle des vecteurs de maladie incluent: (i) leur probable toxicité vis à vis d’autres organismes, (ii) le coût et les difficultés pour organiser des programmes efficaces de pulvérisation, (iii) la résistance physiologique et le changement de comportement dans les populations des vecteurs. La validité des ces objections et les possibles façons de les résoudre sont discutées. L’importance est mise sur l’évaluation de l’impact réel des cas où une résistance est détectée par des tests de laboratoire. Pour ce qui concerne les changements de comportement des populations de vecteur, quelques données sont présentées sur des tests de variation génétique sur la tendance des moustiques à rester dehors et delà éviter les contacts avec les murs traités. La plupart des échecs de contrôle par insecticide peuvent être attribués non pas aux problèmes de résistance mais aux difficultés d’organisation. C’est pourquoi l’imprégnation des moustiquaires avec des pyrèthrinoïdes est testée dans plusieurs endroits du monde. Une telle imprégnation peut être faite par les villageois et rend les moustiquaires efficace même si elles sont déchirées. Cette méthode sera probablement avantageuse contre les moustiques qui entrent les maisons pour se nourrir mais n’y restent pas.
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Curtis, C.F., Lines, J.D. Insecticides in the Management of Insect Vectors of Tropical Disease. Int J Trop Insect Sci 8, 709–714 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400022815
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400022815