Chemistry of Drugs Used against Arthropod Parasites

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to summarize the chemical data on control agents currently used against arthropod parasites of man and animal. Given the large number of different chemical structures that are active and useful in one or more host-parasite relationships — and given space limitations — this treatment is of necessity somewhat cursory. Our scope is limited to compounds that are intentionally and directly applied to man or animal for parasite control; thus, materials used in such applications as mosquito abatement, household pest control, and space sprays in livestock barns are not considered within the scope of this review. Also not presented in this section are generally widely known compounds or mixtures (e.g., xylene, chloroform, essential oils, petroleum fractions) that are often included in pesticidal formulations and that in fact may contribute to pesticidal activity. We have, perhaps paradoxically, opted to include the rather limited number of arthropod repellents used directly on man or domestic animals.