The Compatibility of Spindor Dust with Poecilia reticulata for Integrated Mosquito Larviciding

Abstract

"Current efforts at mosquito control in Nigeria and indeed the whole of Africa have gradually drifted away from the more traditional larviciding and environmental management to almost solely on disease management and domestic adulticiding since the discovery of the dangers of Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). Despite ease of application, disease management and adulticiding alone have failed to interrupt mosquito vector burden on a nationwide basis evidenced by the continual establishment of new cases of mosquito related diseases and subsequently death, particularly amongst children under the age of five and pregnant women [1]. While it is true that mosquitoes cannot be totally eliminated in any ecosystem, good mosquito management practices that consider environmental issues must be adopted within the purview of Integrated Vector Management (IVM) to keep mosquito population below the level of public health concern. Integrated Vector Management is the targeted use of different vector control methods alone or in combination to achieve the greatest disease control benefits in the most cost effective manner while minimising negative impacts on the ecosystem e.g. depletion of biodiversity and adverse side effects on public health [2]."