Posted by Tim Edwards on May 15, 2007, 11:07 pm, in reply to "Mosquito Spray??"
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Before we go to far with this thought that DDT is all bad, let's remember that it is a very effective and inexpensive vector control. It gets it's bad rap because of it's indiscriminate use in the 40's thru 60's, especially as an all purpose insect control in agriculture. If you're interested, there is lots of info on the www. Wickipedia has a great history on it's use. It does not harm humans. It does harm birds by weakening their eggs and therefore they get crushed before they can hatch. There are some problems with other animals up the food chain who ingest lots of other animals that have been contaminated with DDT. It does build up in their tissue with negative effects. There is a trade off..... mosquitoes infect millions of people (a few in LM) every year with a variety of illnesses and kill more than a million, especially infants and children. Malaria alone causes millions of people to be very ill and it affects many for the rest of their life and has great social and economic implications. So any potential lasting negative effects on children are far greater by being bitten by an infected mosquito than by any known ill effects of spraying with DDT. If we are going to try to influence anyone about it's use, it would be better to attempt to have it used prudently as a vector control. |
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