HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Rapley, L. P. Articles by Ritchie, S. A. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Rapley, L. P. Articles by Ritchie, S. A.

The Effects of Sustained Release Metofluthrin on the Biting, Movement, and Mortality of Aedes aegypti in a Domestic Setting

The impact of a sustained release metofluthrin emanator and an allethrin-based mosquito coil on biting, movement and mortality of female Aedes aegypti was assessed in an apartment. In the room in which the metofluthrin emanator was activated, mosquito biting counts were reduced to zero. Metofluthrin also had a spillover effect, significantly (P < 0.001) reducing biting counts in a neighboring room 1, 4, and 24 hours after the emanator was activated when compared with either the coil or control (untreated) treatment. Mosquitoes were neither repelled nor expelled from a room exposed to metofluthrin. Indeed, a significantly (P = 0.023) greater proportion of mosquitoes were found in the treated room after exposure to metofluthrin when compared with either the coil or control treatment. Furthermore, in the room treated with metofluthrin the majority of mosquitoes died and a spillover effect into the neighboring room caused greater than one-third mortality of the mosquitoes. Metofluthrin could be used to prevent dengue transmission within a household.

Received August 6, 2008. Accepted for publication March 28, 2009.

Acknowledgments: We thank Reckitt Benckiser, particularly Michael Gibian, Graeme Smith, and Ian Thompson for providing the metofluthrin-impregnated towers and offering feedback on experimental design and results. The assistance of Petrina Johnson in locating the apartment and preparing the manuscript is gratefully acknowledged. Avril Underwood is also thanked for helping to make the apartment suitable for mosquito release and for collecting initial data on mosquito behavior when exposed to metofluthrin.

Financial support: The study was funded by the National Health and Research Medical Council (grant no. 379615) and Reckitt Benckiser Australia Pty Ltd.

^* Address correspondence to Scott A. Ritchie, School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia. E-mails: Scott.Ritchie{at}jcu.edu.au or scott_ritchie{at}health.qld.gov.au

Authors’ addresses: Luke Rapley and Scott Ritchie, School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia. Richard Russell, Department of Medical Entomology, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia. Brian Montgomery, Tropical Population Health Network, Queensland Health, PO Box 1103, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia.