BackgroundMalaria vector control programmes that rely on insecticide-based interventions such as indoor house spraying with residual insecticides or insecticide treated bed nets, need to base their decision-making process on sound baseline data. More and more commercial entities in Africa, such as mining companies, are realising the value to staff productivity of controlling malaria transmission in their areas of operation.This paper presents baseline entomological data obtained during surveys conducted for four mining operations in Ghana, West Africa.ResultsThe vast majority of the samples were identified as Anopheles gambiae S form with only a few M form specimens being identified from Tarkwa. Plasmodium falciparum infection rates ranged from 4.5 to 8.6% in An. gambiae and 1.81 to 8.06% in An. funestus. High survival rates on standard WHO bioassay tests were recorded for all insecticide classes except the organophosphates that showed reasonable mortality at all locations (i.e. > 90%). The West African kdr mutation was detected and showed high frequencies in all populations.ConclusionsThe data highlight the complexity of the situation prevailing in southern Ghana and the challenges facing the malaria vector control programmes in this region. Vector control programmes in Ghana need to carefully consider the resistance profiles of the local mosquito populations in order to base their resistance management strategies on sound scientific data.
BackgroundIndoor residual spraying (IRS) is a primary method of malaria vector control, but its potential impact is constrained by several inherent limitations: spraying must be repeated when insecticide residues decay, householders can tire of the annual imposition and campaign costs are recurrent. Durable lining (DL) can be considered an advanced form of long-lasting IRS where insecticide is gradually released from an aesthetically attractive wall lining material to provide vector control for several years. A multicentre trial was carried out in Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Mali, South Africa and Vietnam to assess the feasibility, durability, bioefficacy and household acceptability of DL, compared to conventional IRS or insecticide-treated curtains (LLITCs), in a variety of operational settings.MethodsThis study was conducted in 220 households in traditional rural villages over 12-15 months. In all sites, rolls of DL were cut to fit house dimensions and fixed to interior wall surfaces (usually with nails and caps) by trained teams. Acceptability was assessed using a standardized questionnaire covering such topics as installation, exposure reactions, entomology, indoor environment, aesthetics and durability. Bioefficacy of interventions was evaluated using WHO cone bioassay tests at regular intervals throughout the year.ResultsThe deltamethrin DL demonstrated little to no decline in bioefficacy over 12-15 months, supported by minimal loss of insecticide content. By contrast, IRS displayed a significant decrease in bioactivity by 6 months and full loss after 12 months. The majority of participants in DL households perceived reductions in mosquito density (93%) and biting (82%), but no changes in indoor temperature (83%). Among those households that wanted to retain the DL, 73% cited protective reasons, 20% expressed a desire to keep theirs for decoration and 7% valued both qualities equally. In Equatorial Guinea, when offered a choice of vector control product at the end of the trial (DL, IRS or LLITCs), DL consistently emerged as the most popular intervention regardless of the earlier household allocation.ConclusionsJust as long-lasting insecticidal nets overcame several of the technical and logistical constraints associated with conventionally treated nets and then went to scale, this study demonstrates the potential of DL to sustain user compliance and overcome the operational challenges associated with IRS.
Ecosystems provide the conditions for producing food, regulating water, and providing wildlife habitats; these, among others, are known as ecosystem services (ESs). Food production is both economically and culturally important to southern European farmers, particularly in Italy where farmers grow flavorsome tomatoes with passion and pride. Growers rely on pesticides for crop protection, the potential environmental impact of which is often questioned by regulators and other stakeholders. The European regulatory system for the approval of pesticides includes a thorough evaluation of risks to the environment and is designed to be protective of ecosystems. The consideration of ESs in environmental decision making is a growing trend, and the present case study provides an example of how ESs evaluation could be used to enhance agricultural practices and regulatory policy for crop protection. By attacking plant roots, nematodes may affect the growth and yield of fruit and vegetable crops, and the income earned by farmers at harvest time. Available solutions include chemical treatments such as 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D), physical treatments (solarization), and biological treatments (biofumigation). In order to characterize the risks and benefits associated with the use of 1,3-D in crop protection, ESs and socioeconomic analyses were applied to its use in the control of nematodes in tomato cultivation in southern Italy. The present study confirmed the benefits of 1,3-D to tomato production in Italy, with significant positive effects on production yields and farm income when compared to limited and transient potential impacts on services such as soil function. It was confirmed that 1,3-D allows farm income to be maintained and secures tomato production in these regions for the future. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:801-810. © 2016 SETAC.
Background: ZeroVector TM Durable Lining (DL) is a novel vector control tool that releases a suitable insecticide impregnated in a textile which is used to cover surfaces where malaria vectors rest after taking a blood meal. The product has the ability to remain effective for three to four years. The technology utilizes the best features of both long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) by being long-lasting and requiring no behavioural change after installation. This study was conducted in 2008-09 to evaluate the acceptability, durability and residual activity of ZeroVector TM DL in two selected rural villages of Obuasi.Methods: Anwona and Mmemiriwa #1, located at the periphery of the Obuasi Municipality, were selected for the field trial. Data on the installation process of ZeroVector TM DL was captured. At three weeks and nine months post-installation, acceptance and durability surveys were conducted at the household level to obtain data on user impressions of the product appeal and appearance over time and also to compare resource demand in contrast to IRS. The residual activity of deltamethrin-impregnated DL against field and susceptible An. gambiae s.s was assessed monthly and compared with deltamethrin spray (K-Othrine) on both cement and mud surfaces using WHO cone bioassay kits. Twelve houses, six representing each surface, were selected for each intervention at each village.Results: ZeroVector TM DL was preferred over IRS by 95.1% of household heads (58/61), primarily for aesthetic reasons. They claimed the textile added beauty to their rooms. At 12 months post-installation, the Durable Lining was generally in good physical condition. Mortality of An. gambiae s.s was 100% for ZeroVector TM DL installed on both cement and mud surfaces at the end of the 1 year study. However, the residual life for the IRS was app.6.5 months on cement surfaces and 4 months on mud surfaces.Conclusion: The high user acceptability and residual efficacy of ZeroVector TM Durable Lining makes it an ideal substitute for IRS in the control of Anopheles vectors of malaria, especially in rural communities where houses are constructed with mud or with mud rendering.
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