Perception and personal protective measures toward mosquito bites by communities in Jaffna District, northern Sri Lanka

Mosquito-borne diseases are of public health importance in war-torn northern Sri Lanka. The severity of mosquito bites and attitudes of the public toward mosquito problems were investigated using a structured questionnaire among communities in 3 administrative divisions in Jaffna District. One hundred fifty-four households were interviewed during this study. Sixty-four percent of the respondents reported that the mosquito problem was severe in their localities. Fifty-two percent stated that mosquito-biting activity was severe in the evening (1500 h-1900 h), 41% at night (after 1900 h), and 7% throughout the day. Severity of mosquito menace was found to have no association with type of house construction. Seventy-seven percent were able to name at least 1 disease transmitted by mosquitoes. Statistical analysis showed no association between education level and public awareness on mosquito-borne diseases. Nearly 88% were able to identify at least a breeding source of mosquitoes and most of them practice measures to eliminate suitable environments for mosquito breeding. Ninety-six percent used personal protective measures against mosquito bites during some seasons or throughout the year. Mosquito coils were the most commonly used personal protective method followed by bed nets. The monthly expenditure for personal protective measures varied from US$0.19 (LKR 20) to US$3.40 (LKR 350).     

武汉居民灭蚊情况的调查

目的：了解居民知道多少灭蚊常识、灭蚊现状以及居民的意见和观点；方法：对102户居民进行问卷调查；结果：居民灭蚊知识欠缺、模糊，目前危害较大的是致倦库蚊,使用最多的是盘香，83％的人对武汉灭蚊不满；结论：需要加强灭蚊知识的宣传。     

Octachlorodipropyl ether (s-2) mosquito coils are inadequately studied for residential use in Asia and illegal in the United States

Children and their parents in residences are often protected by insecticides from nuisance and disease-bearing mosquitoes. The annual worldwide consumption of the four major types of residential insecticide products--aerosols, mosquito coils, liquid vaporizers, and vaporizing mats--is in the billions of units. Mosquito coils are burned indoors and outdoors in East Asia and to a limited extent in other parts of the world, including the United States. Coils consist of an insecticide/repellant, organic fillers capable of burning with smoldering, binder, and additives such as synergists, dyes, and fungicide. The number of coil users in China is in the millions. In Indonesia alone, an estimated seven billion coils are purchased annually. Coils containing pyrethroid insecticides, particularly d-allethrin, may contain octachlorodipropyl ether (S-2, S-421) as a synergist or active ingredient. Use of those coils likely exposes children and adults to some level of bis(chloromethyl)ether (BCME). BCME is formed from formaldehyde and hydrogen chloride, combustion products formed from the slow smoldering (about 8 hr/coil) of the mosquito coils. Because BCME is an extremely potent lung carcinogen, the nature and extent of prolonged exposures that recur in homes during the mosquito season in tropical regions must be evaluated with respect to health. In a small analytical study, coils purchased in Indonesia and in the United States contained highly variable amounts of S-2. Some coils that contained S-2 were not labeled, making it impossible for consumers to make an informed decision about coil contents. Mosquito coils containing S-2 are unregistered, and their use is illegal in the United States. Indoor air monitoring under conditions that represent conditions of use in tropical settings and epidemiology to assess health impacts of coil use are essential to permit responsible regulatory decisions regarding continuing S-2 use.     

The public's view of mosquito problems in an organized control district

Mosquito control programs provide abatement services to residents of urban, suburban and rural areas. The differing perceptions of these programs by residents of the Jefferson County Mosquito Control District (Texas) are examined using a mail survey. Mosquito problems start occurring earlier in the year for urban residents. The average number of bites per hour per night was 11. Rural residents used more self-administered control methods and incurred greater expenditures for these efforts than other residents. A majority of respondents recognized the effectiveness of the mosquito control district's current abatement efforts, but 56% supported greater use of nonchemical control methods. The study methods are expected to be useful in other areas to address similar problems.     

Knowledge of mosquitos in relation to public and domestic control activities in the cities of Dar es Salaam and Tanga.

A study of community awareness of mosquitos and related subjects in the residential areas of two Tanzanian cities (Dar es Salaam and Tanga) showed that residents were well aware of mosquitos. Almost all claimed to use some form of domestic mosquito control product for their personal protection, and many spend a significant portion of the household income on this. The problems of nuisance-biting and malaria transmission are usually not separated and are considered to be the result of poor environmental hygiene, for which both residents and local authorities are responsible. Although Culex mosquitos are not a primary target of the Urban Malaria Control Project (UMCP), the persistence of nuisance-biting has made residents sceptical and dissatisfied with insecticide spraying. The residents'' priorities are evidently not the same as those of the health authorities, yet mutual cooperation is essential. In order to maintain community support, campaigns aimed at malaria vectors should consider the need for additional measures to control Culex mosquitos, such as those now being tried by the UMCP. Mosquito breeding sites are non-specifically associated with rubbish and standing water of all kinds, and so the actions that the community considers necessary for mosquito source reduction tend to be poorly targeted. Residents do not recognize that some sources produce malaria mosquitos while others produce nuisance mosquitos. The environmental anti-mosquito measures currently promoted by health education and other forms of propaganda are also poorly targeted. While some of them are directed at important Culex breeding sites, others are aimed at sites of little importance for mosquitos of any kind.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Prevention of mosquito nuisance among urban populations in Burkina Faso

This paper addresses the problems of mosquito control in urban areas of Burkina Faso. The main objectives are to examine relevant socio-cultural aspects in relation to a mosquito control intervention using a biolarvicide with main emphasis on local perceptions of mosquito nuisance and existing practices of mosquito control, including the cost of protective measures at household level. This is the report of an inter-disciplinary research project carried out in the two major towns of Burkina Faso, Bobo-Dioulasso and Ouagadougou, in 1999 and 2000, respectively. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used in the ethnographic part of the study. Two questionnaire surveys were conducted in both study areas: one prior to the intervention (n=1083) and the other after the intervention of the treatments with bio-larvicide (n=956). In addition, 70 in-depth interviews and 17 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted. The findings show that mosquitoes are considered an important problem in the urban areas, both as a nuisance and a health risk and that the local population is very active in applying mosquito control measures at the household level. The intervention project was received positively by the local population with a decline in the perceived level of annoyance. The causal relationship between mosquitoes and malaria is clear, but the explanatory framework of the relationship between mosquitoes and other diseases is still under debate. The most common prevention methods are mosquito coils and aerosol spray, even though bed nets are perceived to be the most efficient and effective method. The investments in coils and aerosol sprays alone would mean an increase of 40% in the national figures for health expenditure at household level.     

Épidémies récurrentes de la dengue au Burkina Faso : préférences communautaires pour une intervention de prévention de la maladie

BackgroundCommunity-based interventions have proven effective in several Latin American countries in controlling dengue vector Aedes aegypti and reducing the burden of the disease. However, we did not find any study reporting the assessment or implementation of such interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa. This article presents local communities’ preferences for activities as part of the implementation of a community-based intervention for dengue prevention in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) where dengue epidemics are recurrent during the rainy season.MethodsA mixed-method study combining qualitative and quantitative data collection was conducted. Information from 983 households and their preferences for community-based activities for dengue prevention were collected in five neighborhoods of the city using a quantitative questionnaire. Then, 15 qualitative focus groups were organized in one of the neighborhoods that was randomly selected to receive a community-based intervention for dengue prevention. These groups were made up of 216 people representing the different socio-cultural categories: community leaders, men, women, young girls and boys.ResultsMore than 95% of household respondents to the quantitative questionnaire found community-based interventions acceptable and/or useful: to raise awareness of mosquito-borne disease transmission, to identify and remove the mosquito breeding sites and areas favorable to the development of the adult vectors. Most participants in the focus groups, preferred outreach activities such as video/debate sessions, school and home education sessions, focus groups. They also preferred the implementation of community working groups, responsible for identifying and eliminating mosquito breeding sites in the neighborhood. However, many participants had reservations about sending preventive text messages to residents. They found it feasible but not useful since most people cannot read.ConclusionThis study shows that it is important to get the local communities involved in the formulation of health prevention activities in sub-Saharan Africa where some interventions are often implemented using strategies from other continents.     

West Nile Virus: the buzz on Ottawa residents' awareness, attitudes and practices

BACKGROUND: In 2002, the City of Ottawa was interested in the public perception of West Nile Virus (WNV) and mosquito control. Their objectives were to assess: awareness of WNV, practices to reduce mosquito sources, personal protective measures, and attitudes towards community-based insecticide programs. METHODS: In July 2002, we administered a telephone survey to a random, stratified sample of urban, suburban and rural Ottawa households. RESULTS: Surveys were completed for 491 households. Most (77.2%) respondents reported they had heard of WNV, and of these, 58.3% reported WNV was an important health issue. Mosquito repellent was the most common personal protective measure, reported among 72.5% of respondents, of whom 76.9% used DEET products. Multivariate regression analyses showed that age was a significant predictor of repellent use, with respondents aged less than 51 years more likely to use repellent than older respondents (ORadj =2.0; 95% CI: 1.2-2.3). This age group was also more likely to use at least one personal protective behaviour (ORadj = 2.5; 95% CI: 1.4-4.5). Of 315 people selecting a justified time to larvicide, 4.8% chose "larvicides should never be used in Ottawa"; 33.4% stated that larviciding would be appropriate "when WNV was detected in birds or mosquitoes"; one third "needed more information" on the health and environmental effects of insecticides, prior to selecting a response. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the need for public education reinforcing WNV importance, emphasizing the health and environmental effects of insecticides as well as appropriate personal protective behaviours. Such messages should target older and urban residents.     

快速测试有机磷和氨基甲酸酯成分的方法研究

目的快速检测市售卫生杀虫剂中是否含有机磷或氨基甲酸酯成分。方法用农药速测卡测试稀释后的卫生杀虫剂提取液。结果将检测结果用气相色谱法验证,蚊香准确率88.9%、灭蚊片100%、气雾剂33.3%,15个电热灭蚊片样品中没有发现含有机磷或氨基甲酸酯的产品。结论此方法可用于蚊香和灭蚊片初筛检测是否含有机磷或氨基甲酸酯。     

How do rural households perceive and prioritise malaria and mosquito nets? A study in five communities of Nigeria

The aim of this study was to determine households' levels of prioritization and perception of malaria, ordinary mosquito nets and insecticide-treated nets (ITNs). A cross-sectional survey was conducted in five malaria holo-endemic communities in Enugu State, South-eastern Nigeria. The household heads or the representatives from randomly selected households were interviewed, using a pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire. The majority of the respondents had a good knowledge about malaria and the use of ordinary mosquito nets to prevent malaria. However, few knew about the existence of ITNs. Most respondents also stated that malaria was a priority problem and perceived some risk of contracting it. Despite the high level of knowledge about the use of mosquito nets, only 14.0%, 15.7%, 9.6% and 8.0% of the respondents from four of the communities had ever purchased any type of mosquito nets, except in Orba where the proportion was 50.3%. However, more than 80% in all the communities expressed a desire to buy insecticide-treated mosquito nets for the prevention of mosquito bites. There was considerable knowledge about malaria and the use of mosquito nets to prevent it. There were also high levels of prioritization of the disease, mosquito nets and ITNs which signalled the possibility of establishing sustainable community-based ITN programmes, especially as households wanted to buy the ITNs.     

Field evaluation of New Mountain Sandalwood Mosquito Sticks and New Mountain Sandalwood Botanical Repellent against mosquitoes in North Queensland, Australia

The mosquito repellent efficacy of New Mountain Sandalwood Mosquito Sticks (containing 0.5% w/w essential oils) and New Mountain Sandalwood Botanical Repellent (containing soybean and geranium oils) was assessed. Tests were conducted in the field with 4 volunteers in a wooded area near Cairns, North Queensland, Australia. Predominant biting species were Verrallina funerea and Ve. lineata. A pair of burning Mosquito Sticks immediately upwind of the subject (acting as an area repellent) provided a 73.1% mean reduction in mosquito landing and probing over the 3-h test period. The Botanical Repellent and a DEET-based control were both 100% effective in preventing mosquito probing for 3 h. These data are consistent with other studies of area repellents in that such products provide significant protection from mosquito bites, albeit inferior to the protection provided by topically applied repellents.     

无锡市常住人口避孕药具公共服务现状与需求分析

目的:了解无锡市不同特征常住人口获取避孕药具公共服务途径和需求。方法:2013年在无锡市开展抽样调查,抽取有效样本3 003份。结果 :免费自费避孕药具选择方面,≤25岁对象选择自费药具的最多(37.7%);不同年龄、文化程度、户口性质和流动情况自费购买避孕药具的原因是均认为免费的没有自己买的好。免费避孕药具获取方式方面,选择"自助领取"的大专以上学历比例最高(23.7%);城镇人口比例(23.4%)高于农村居民(19.8%);流动人口比例(30.1%)高于户籍人口(18.8%)。服务方式需求方面,选择与计划生育人员单独交流和电话咨询交流的比例较高;选择在线咨询≤25岁的比例(22.9%)高于其他年龄组;大专及以上学历调查对象的比例(24.8%)高于高中及以下学历;城镇居民的比例(20.2%)高于农村居民(17.2%);户籍人口和流动人口在服务方式上差异不显著。结论:不同特征的常住人口在获取计划生育药具公共服务的途径和选择偏好上存在显著差异,在提供免费计划生育药具时需考虑到他们的需求差异,有针对性地提供多样化服务,满足常住人口计划生育药具公共服务的需求。     

Economy, community and mortality in British Columbia, Canada

Stimulated by the growing body of literature relating economic inequalities to inequalities in health, this article explores relationships between various economic attributes of communities and mortality rates among 24 coastal communities in British Columbia, Canada. Average household income, a measure of community wealth, was negatively related and the incidence of low incomes, a measure of poverty, was positively related to age-standardized mortality. Both were more strongly related to female than male mortality. Mean and median household income, the incidence of low incomes and a lack of disposable income, and the proportion of total income dollars derived from government sources were significantly related to mortality rates for younger and middle-aged men but not for elderly men. Mortality rates for younger and middle-aged women were not explicated by these economic attributes of communities: among elderly women only, mortality rates were higher in communities with a lower average household income and in those with a higher incidence of low incomes. Finally, a higher concentration in white-collar industries was related to higher mortality rates for females, even after controlling for other economic attributes of communities. These results do not obviously support a psychosocial argument for an individual-level relationship between income and health that assumes residents perceive their status primarily in relation to other members of the same community, but do provide moderate support for the materialist argument and moderate support for the psychosocial argument that assumes community residents perceive their status in relation to an encompassing reference group. Other viable interpretations of these relationships pertain to ecological characteristics of communities that are related to both economic well-being and population health status; in this instance, concentration in specific economic industries may help to understand the ecological relationships presented here.     

Behavioral risks for West Nile virus disease, northern Colorado, 2003

In 2003, residents in 2 adjacent cities in northern Colorado (Loveland and Fort Collins) had severe outbreaks of human West Nile virus (WNV) disease. Unexpectedly, age-adjusted neuroinvasive disease rates were higher in Loveland (38.6 vs. 15.9 per 100,000), which had a more extensive mosquito control program and fewer mosquitoes. A survey was conducted to assess differences in personal protection and risk practices by each city's residents. During May and June 2004, a random-digit dial telephone survey was conducted among adults to assess personal protection behavioral practices used to prevent WNV infection during the 2003 outbreak. After we adjusted for identified risk factors, Loveland residents were 39% more likely to report seldom or never using N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET), and approximately 30% were more likely to report being outdoors during prime mosquito-biting hours than Fort Collins residents. Personal protective practices may directly influence rates of WNV infection and remain important even when comprehensive community mosquito control measures are implemented.     

Knowledge and practice of malaria prevention methods among residents of arba minch town and arba minch zuria district, southern ethiopia

Background

To date, there is no effective vaccine or no effective drug for mass chemoprophylaxis against malaria. Thus, proper know-how and use of prevention methods is crucial. This study aims to assess the knowledge and practice of malaria prevention methods among the residents of Arba Minch area, Southern Ethiopia.

Methods

A community-based cross-sectional study that utilized a two-stage sampling was conducted from January 22 to February 1, 2007 on a sample of 454 household heads or their deputies. SPSS 16 for windows was used for data analysis. Chi-square and Fisher''s exact probability tests were used to assess the association of selected variables with place of residence.

Results

Majority (86.8%) of the respondents mentioned fever as a symptom of malaria, and 98.2% of the respondents reported mosquito bite as the cause of malaria. Three hundred and eighty four (84.6%) of the respondents mentioned mosquito nets as protective measures against mosquito bites. The protective measure mostly used by the respondents or other household members in the last 12 months was mosquito net (73.3%) followed by aerosol insecticide (13%) with the former being used more in rural areas and the latter in urban areas.

Conclusion

The study subjects'' awareness regarding the cause, symptoms and preventive measures of malaria was high. Use of mosquito net as protective measure against mosquito bites in the last 12 months was high. However, use of other preventive measures was low. Behavioral change communication is required to increase the use of other preventive measures along with mosquito nets.     

Exposure to mosquito coil smoke may be a risk factor for lung cancer in Taiwan

Background

About 50% of lung cancer deaths in Taiwan are not related to cigarette smoking. Environmental exposure may play a role in lung cancer risk. Taiwanese households frequently burn mosquito coil at home to repel mosquitoes. The aim of this hospital-based case-control study was to determine whether exposure to mosquito coil smoke is a risk for lung cancer.

Methods

Questionnaires were administered to 147 primary lung cancer patients and 400 potential controls to ascertain demographic data, occupation, lifestyle data, indoor environmental exposures (including habits of cigarette smoking, cooking methods, incense burning at home, and exposure to mosquito coil smoke ), as well as family history of cancer and detailed medical history.

Results

Mosquito coil smoke exposure was more frequent in lung cancer patients than controls (38.1% vs.17.8%; p<0.01). Risk of lung cancer was significantly higher in frequent burners of mosquito coils (more than 3 times [days] per week) than nonburners (adjusted odds ratio = 3.78; 95% confidence interval: 1.55-6.90). Those who seldom burned mosquito coils (less than 3 times per week) also had a significantly higher risk of lung cancer (adjusted odds ratio = 2.67; 95% confidence interval: 1.60-4.50).

Conclusion

Exposure to mosquito coil smoke may be a risk factor for development of lung cancer.Key words: Air Pollutants, Lung Neoplasms, Mosquito Coil, Smoke     

Les maringouins du meche and the legacy of two men.

E. S. Hathaway and his colleague, A. B. Ritter, were directly responsible for establishing organized mosquito control in Louisiana in the late 1950s and early 1960s. They jointly sought to educate governmental officials and Louisiana citizens that mosquitoes could be controlled if the efforts were based on scientific knowledge, trained personnel and appropriate funding. These men were instrumental also in establishing the Louisiana Mosquito Control Association and subsequently involved with the formation of the first 5 parish-wide mosquito control districts in Louisiana.     

Field evaluation of mosquito control devices in southern Louisiana

The effect of 2 mosquito traps and 2 repellent systems on the catch of adult mosquitoes in American Biophysics Corporation (ABC) light traps was evaluated over a 14-month period at 3 locations in Louisiana. Devices evaluated included 1) ABC Mosquito Magnet with dry ice and octanol; 2) the BioSensory 500 cc Dragonfly Biting Insect Trap with CO2, octenol, and Mosquito Cognito, which uses Conceal inhibitor; 3) the SC Johnson OFF! Mosquito Lantern; and 4) the ThermaCell cordless mosquito repellent system. The number of adult mosquitoes caught in the ABC light traps, at the SC Johnson OFF! Mosquito Lantern, and ThermaCell cordless mosquito repellent treatment sites was significantly lower than the number collected at the ABC Mosquito Magnet or the Dragonfly/Mosquito Cognito trap system sites. When the 2 repellent devices were placed in combination with the ABC traps, mosquito numbers were significantly reduced when compared with sites with ABC traps alone. These data indicate that the SC Johnson OFF! Mosquito Lantern and ThermaCell cordless mosquito system may reduce attack from biting mosquitoes due to the reduction in their numbers. In the same study, the mosquito counts of the trapping devices also were reported.     

Comparative larvivorous performances of mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, and juvenile Sacramento blackfish, Orthodon microlepidotus, in experimental paddies

Mosquitofish, Sacramento blackfish, or combinations of both species were stocked in experimental paddies. Cultured Culex tarsalis larvae, stocked weekly into each paddy, and wild Anopheles freeborni larvae were counted by dipping. At the end of the 12 week experiment, paddies were drained and the remaining fish and visible invertebrates counted. Data show the highest number of mosquito larvae in the blackfish-stocked paddies. This low larvivorous ability of blackfish may result from their rapid growth to ca. 70 mm standard length and a consequent shift to a filtering mode of feeding. Although blackfish populations decreased from one-third to one-half of their stocked levels and mosquitofish populations increased to very high levels, mosquito control seemed to be a function of species rather than just the number of predatory fish. The lower number of larvae in the control paddies compared with the blackfish paddies might be attributable to predatory invertebrate communities.     

2016—2018年武汉市物业小区外环境蚊虫防制效果监测与评价

目的调查2016—2018年武汉市物业小区外环境蚊虫防制情况,为该市物业小区科学防控蚊虫提供本底资料。方法以蚊虫路径指数达标率为评价指标,回顾性分析武汉市2016—2018年物业小区公共外环境蚊虫孳生地目测法监测结果。采用χ2检验比较不同年份间蚊虫路径指数达标率。结果武汉市2016—2018年纳入监测的物业小区依次为179、437和548个,其外环境蚊虫路径指数达标率分别为51.40%、59.27%和41.06%。统计分析结果显示,2018年物业小区外环境蚊虫路径指数达标率明显低于2017年,差异有统计学意义(χ2=26.342,P<0.001),然而,2016年物业小区外环境蚊虫路径指数达标率与2017及2018年比较,差异均无统计学意义。结论在国家卫生城市巩固阶段,武汉市物业小区外环境蚊虫防控效果有所下降,相关部门应探讨更加科学合理的蚊虫防制策略和措施,为我市居民提供卫生健康的居住环境。