Tents pre-treated with insecticide for malaria control in refugee camps: an entomological evaluation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A refugee shelter that is treated with insecticide during manufacture would be useful for malaria control at the acute stage of an emergency, when logistic problems, poor co-ordination and insecurity limit the options for malaria con...

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Main Authors: Ahmad Mushtaq, Rehman Hameed, Graham Kate, Kamal Mohammed, Khan Irfanullah, Rowland Mark
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2004-07-01
Series:Malaria Journal
Online Access:http://www.malariajournal.com/content/3/1/25
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author Ahmad Mushtaq
Rehman Hameed
Graham Kate
Kamal Mohammed
Khan Irfanullah
Rowland Mark
author_facet Ahmad Mushtaq
Rehman Hameed
Graham Kate
Kamal Mohammed
Khan Irfanullah
Rowland Mark
author_sort Ahmad Mushtaq
collection DOAJ
description <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A refugee shelter that is treated with insecticide during manufacture would be useful for malaria control at the acute stage of an emergency, when logistic problems, poor co-ordination and insecurity limit the options for malaria control.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Tents made of untreated canvas with deltamethrin-treated polyethylene threads interwoven through the canvas during manufacture, 'pre-treated tents', were tested in Pakistan for their impact on malaria vectors. Fixed-time contact bioassays tested the insecticidal activity of the material over 3 months of outdoor weathering. Unweathered tents were erected under large trap-nets on outdoor platforms and tested using wild-caught, host-seeking mosquitoes and insectary-reared mosquitoes released during the night into the trap-nets.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The insecticide-treated tents were effective both in killing mosquitoes and reducing blood-feeding. Mean 24 hour mortality was 25.7% on untreated tents and 50.8% on treated tents (P = 0.001) in wild anophelines and 5.2% on untreated tents and 80.9% on treated tents (P < 0.001) in insectary-reared <it>Anopheles stephensi</it>. Blood-feeding of wild anophelines was reduced from 46% in the presence of an untreated tent to 9.2% (P < 0.001) in the presence of treated tents and from 51.1% to 22.2% (P < 0.001) for insectary-reared <it>An. stephensi</it>. In contact bioassays on tents weathered for three months there was 91.3% mortality after 10-minute exposure and a 24 h holding period and 83.0% mortality after 3-minute exposure and a 24 h holding period.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results demonstrate the potential of these pre-treated canvas-polyethylene tents for malaria control. Further information on the persistence of the insecticide over an extended period of weathering should be gathered. Because the epidemiological evidence for the effectiveness of pyrethroid-treated tents for malaria control already exists, this technology could be readily adopted as an option for malaria control in refugee camps, provided the insecticidal effect is shown to be sufficiently persistent.</p>
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spelling doaj.art-a353f1fe16414a7d8c6161714ef672c02022-12-21T23:16:24ZengBMCMalaria Journal1475-28752004-07-01312510.1186/1475-2875-3-25Tents pre-treated with insecticide for malaria control in refugee camps: an entomological evaluationAhmad MushtaqRehman HameedGraham KateKamal MohammedKhan IrfanullahRowland Mark<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A refugee shelter that is treated with insecticide during manufacture would be useful for malaria control at the acute stage of an emergency, when logistic problems, poor co-ordination and insecurity limit the options for malaria control.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Tents made of untreated canvas with deltamethrin-treated polyethylene threads interwoven through the canvas during manufacture, 'pre-treated tents', were tested in Pakistan for their impact on malaria vectors. Fixed-time contact bioassays tested the insecticidal activity of the material over 3 months of outdoor weathering. Unweathered tents were erected under large trap-nets on outdoor platforms and tested using wild-caught, host-seeking mosquitoes and insectary-reared mosquitoes released during the night into the trap-nets.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The insecticide-treated tents were effective both in killing mosquitoes and reducing blood-feeding. Mean 24 hour mortality was 25.7% on untreated tents and 50.8% on treated tents (P = 0.001) in wild anophelines and 5.2% on untreated tents and 80.9% on treated tents (P < 0.001) in insectary-reared <it>Anopheles stephensi</it>. Blood-feeding of wild anophelines was reduced from 46% in the presence of an untreated tent to 9.2% (P < 0.001) in the presence of treated tents and from 51.1% to 22.2% (P < 0.001) for insectary-reared <it>An. stephensi</it>. In contact bioassays on tents weathered for three months there was 91.3% mortality after 10-minute exposure and a 24 h holding period and 83.0% mortality after 3-minute exposure and a 24 h holding period.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results demonstrate the potential of these pre-treated canvas-polyethylene tents for malaria control. Further information on the persistence of the insecticide over an extended period of weathering should be gathered. Because the epidemiological evidence for the effectiveness of pyrethroid-treated tents for malaria control already exists, this technology could be readily adopted as an option for malaria control in refugee camps, provided the insecticidal effect is shown to be sufficiently persistent.</p>http://www.malariajournal.com/content/3/1/25
spellingShingle Ahmad Mushtaq
Rehman Hameed
Graham Kate
Kamal Mohammed
Khan Irfanullah
Rowland Mark
Tents pre-treated with insecticide for malaria control in refugee camps: an entomological evaluation
Malaria Journal
title Tents pre-treated with insecticide for malaria control in refugee camps: an entomological evaluation
title_full Tents pre-treated with insecticide for malaria control in refugee camps: an entomological evaluation
title_fullStr Tents pre-treated with insecticide for malaria control in refugee camps: an entomological evaluation
title_full_unstemmed Tents pre-treated with insecticide for malaria control in refugee camps: an entomological evaluation
title_short Tents pre-treated with insecticide for malaria control in refugee camps: an entomological evaluation
title_sort tents pre treated with insecticide for malaria control in refugee camps an entomological evaluation
url http://www.malariajournal.com/content/3/1/25
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