Posted on 08/27/2006 6:44:50 AM PDT by mathprof
'I'm no infectious disease specialist
~~
Well, I'm board-certified,and I assure you that DDT is essential to combat malaria.
It will also eliminate West Nile, EEE, and a variety of other undesireables.
~~
Timely, pertinent and excellent post. Thank you! FR is blessed to have people like you among its readership and contributors.
I just finished the excellent book by David McCullough...." Path Between the Seas", about the building of the Panama Canal. We got rid of the malaria there by other ingenious means. No DDT was used, as it wasn't yet invented.
They simply, by hard work, got rid of the mosquitos.
"Mosquito resistance against DDT
In some areas DDT has lost much of its effectiveness, especially in areas such as India where outdoor transmission is the predominant form. According to V.P. Sharma, "The declining effectiveness of DDT is a result of several factors which frequently operate in tandem. The first and the most important factor is vector resistance to DDT. All populations of the main vector, An. culicifacies have become resistant to DDT."
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Wikipedia is highly controversial and highly suspect because for a long time, anyone, like YOU for example, could edit each and every entry thereby inserting their own biases and disinformation. Of course, I'm sure you wouldn't insert disinformation, now would you?
You should have told her:
"Think Globally - Act Locally - Off Yourself"
"But am I correct to suspect that the vector of these diseases will,over time,develop a resistance to the DDT thus putting the people of various tropical regions right back where they started?"
Your question pre-supposes that some individuals will survive, develop limited or total immunity and pass it on genetically. I don't believe that any individuals, in significant numbers, survive. Hence, no passing on of survivability genes.
"I bought into it too.And pelicans supposedly are more numerous post-ban. Even my parents & other old-timers have said so & none of them are environmentalist wackos. Would you let me know if you find out anything, would you?I'd like to know the story on this as well."
The environmental wackos assured us that the Alaskan pipeline was the death knell of the caribou population. That population has exploded and they like hanging out next to the pipeline since it provides a source of warmth. That probably makes them more amorous, hence more caribou.
It's a naturally occuring bacteria that occurs in several variants - one form (var. kurstaki) kills worms, grubs, etc - often used by gardeners on squash vine borers, but also genetically engineered into corn to control cutworms, etc.
The israelensis form is quite useful for killing mosquitoes, gnats and other Diptera species. It's sold as "Mosquito Dunks," for ponds, birdbaths, etc. They're basically little floating donuts of mosquito death.
I personally favor a broader-spectrum approach - there are many chemicals that kill mosquitoes quite nicely (in addition to the BT mentioned above), like malathion, pyrethroids, etc. Bed nets impregnated with these alternatives are effective in limiting the spread as well.
SW
This is categorically untrue, for a variety of reasons, not the least of which revolves around the reproductive cycle of a mosquito (2-3 weeks) versus that of a human being (~20 years).
Secondly, there are tons of observed instances of DDT resistance in mosquitoes. Sri Lanka, for one, is teeming with DDT resistant skeeters.
Vietnam stopped using DDT in 1991, yet their malaria rates plummeted. Why? Mosquito nets, distribution of anti-malarial drugs, and education (gasp!). They managed to reduce the death rate from malaria by 97% in six years, and the infection rate went down by 59%.
SW
Ping, for your archives.
Thanks! ^
Does DDT kill only mosquitos? What other insects does it kill?
I have a nice swamp beside my house I'd like to erradicate.
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