Abstract
BackgroundDiarrhea is an important cause of childhood mortality in developing countries like Pakistan because of unhygienic conditions, lack of awareness, and unwise use of preventive measures. Mechanical transmission of diarrheal pathogens by house flies, Musca domestica, is believed as the most effective route of diarrhea transmission. Although the use of insecticides as a preventive measure is common worldwide for the management of house flies, success of the measure could be compromised by the prevailing environmental temperature since it significantly affects toxicity of insecticides and thus their efficacy. Peaks of the house fly density and diarrheal cases are usually coincided and season specific, yet little is known about the season specific use of insecticides.Methodology/Principal FindingsTo determine the temperature-toxicity relationship in house flies, the effect of post-bioassays temperature (range, 20–34°C) on the toxicity of seven insecticides from organophosphate (chlorpyrifos, profenofos), pyrethroid (cypermethrin, deltamethrin) and new chemical (emamectin benzoate, fipronil, spinosad) classes was evaluated by using a feeding bioassay method. From 20–34°C, the toxicities of chlorpyrifos, profenofos, emamectin and fipronil increased 2.10, 2.93, 2.40 and 3.82 fold (i.e. positive temperature coefficient), respectively. Whereas, the toxicities of cypermethrin, deltamethrin and spinosad decreased 2.21, 2.42 and 3.16 fold (i.e. negative temperature coefficient), respectively.Conclusion/SignificanceThese findings suggest that for the reduction in diarrheal cases, house flies should be controlled with insecticides according to the prevailing environmental temperature. Insecticides with a positive temperature coefficient may serve as potential candidates in controlling house flies and diarrhea epidemics in hot season and vice versa.
Highlights
Diarrheal infections are amongst the major causes of morbidity and mortality among all age groups [1], the under-five age group [2], around the globe
Conclusion/Significance: These findings suggest that for the reduction in diarrheal cases, house flies should be controlled with insecticides according to the prevailing environmental temperature
Outbreaks of childhood diarrhea have been assumed as closely related to the seasonal abundance of house flies while their control with insecticides and/or other measures resulted in the decline of such outbreaks [4,5,8,9], and it was suggested that the preventive measures which could interrupt disease transmission by house flies need to be developed and promoted [2,10]
Summary
Diarrheal infections are amongst the major causes of morbidity and mortality among all age groups [1], the under-five age group [2], around the globe Controlling these infections is an important task to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) no. In Pakistan, a child under the age of five usually receive on average five episodes of acute watery diarrhea per annum, and it is believed as the leading cause of childhood deaths [4,5]. The severity of the problem heightens the need to curb the menace of diarrheal infections by controlling house flies in an effective manner in order to reduce annual deaths. Diarrhea is an important cause of childhood mortality in developing countries like Pakistan because of unhygienic conditions, lack of awareness, and unwise use of preventive measures. Peaks of the house fly density and diarrheal cases are usually coincided and season specific, yet little is known about the season specific use of insecticides
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