Permethrin-treated bed nets (mosquito nets) prevent malaria in Gambian children

Abstract

The incidence of clinical attacks of malaria was significantly less in Gambian children aged 1-9 years who slept in villages where all the bed nets (mosquito nets) were treated with permethrin than in children who slept in control villages with placebo-treated nets. Significant differences in changes in spleen size and in packed cell volume were also observed between the 2 groups during the course of a rainy season. No side effect was noted. Treatment of bed nets with insecticide is a form of malaria control that is well suited to community participation and can readily be incorporated into primary health care programmes. Insecticide-treated nets may be more effective in areas of seasonal or low intensity transmission than in areas with heavy perennial challenge.

A controlled trial of lambda-cyhalothrin-impregnated bed nets and/or dapsone/pyrimethamine for malaria control in Sierra Leone.

“…Our results are in agreement with those of other studies of treated nets, in which it was found that treated nets have a more marked effect on high parasitemias than on overall parasitemia. 17,20 The interventions reduced not only the number of episodes in some children, but also appeared to shorten their duration as well. Although this may partly be due to treatment failure, this observation suggests that some prolonged episodes may be a manifestations of separate but overlapping infections.…”

Malaria: how useful are clinical criteria for improving the diagnosis in a highly endemic area?

“…Case definirion is highly dependent on the level of malaria endemicity, use of drugs, etc. In epidemiological field studies, malaria case defmition often used fever plus high parasitaemia (SNOW et al, 1988;MEKUN et ol., 1990). Such an approach may be suitable KO assess morbidiry attributable to malaria in the community but is of less value in the management of patients with fever in peripheral health centres in the tropical world.…”

Malaria in Children - Experience from Asir Region, Saudi Arabia

“…In addition, intensive health education in Tihama should be pursued to ensure basic understanding in the communities of malaria control including the proper use of bednets 20 that may be impregnated with a synthetic pyrethroid (an insecticide) such as permethin. 21 The nets can be treated once at the beginning of the season by malaria control workers in all homes in the endemic areas. For the nomadic population, impregnation of the dwelling tents could prove to be equally effective.…”