PMI AIRS Study Highlights Need to Study Residual Life of Insecticide in Local Environments Before Use in IRS
With the emergence and spread of vector resistance to pyrethroids and DDT in Africa, several countries have recently switched or are considering switching to carbamates and/or organophosphates for indoor residual spraying (IRS). However, data collected on the residual life of bendiocarb used for IRS in some areas indicate shorter than expected bio-efficacy. The PMI AIRS Project was part of a study in Ethiopia that evaluated the effect of pH and wall type on the residual life of the carbamates bendiocarb and propoxur as measured by the standard World Health Organization (WHO) cone bioassay test.
The study findings recently published in Parasites & Vectors recommend further investigation of the interaction between wall materials, soil, humidity, temperature and pH and the residual bio-efficacy of new and existing insecticides are recommended prior to their wide use in IRS. Read more here. Parasites & Vectors is the largest journal in general parasitology and claims to be the best journal in general parasite and vector biology and disease.