Effectiveness and acceptance of total release insecticidal aerosol cans as a control measure in reducing dengue...

The effectiveness of regular application of insecticidal fogging in reducing dengue is questionable, since delays occur between peak time of outbreak and insecticide administrations. Moreover, many residents do not accept indoor application because of concern about insecticide contamination of household items. The study described in this article was designed to evaluate the effectiveness and acceptance of insecticidal aerosol cans to reduce dengue vectors inside and outside of homes. Residents in Kaohsiung City of South Taiwan were provided with two formulations of aerosol cans (permethrin 3.75% weight/weight [w/w] and cypermethrin 1.716% w/w) and were requested to use these aerosol cans. Although the indoor ovitrap index of the permethrin group returned to the original level in week 3, the index of the cypermethrin group decreased 60% to 20%. The residents accepted the insecticidal aerosol cans but complained of unfavorable effects caused by traditional insecticidal fogging. Results indicate that the insecticidal aerosol cans may serve as a supplementary household control measure for dengue vectors during the time period between the peak of outbreak and the administration of government-organized insecticide fogging.