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["Lynda" <lurine AT softcom.net>]

Ah, the complete article also states that DDT was banned for agriculture 
use, not vector or indoor use.  DDT has continued to be used to rid areas of 
mosquitoes, although vector control has gradually been decreased.

Dr Alan Lymbery
Professor Andrew Thompson
Parasitology Unit
Division of Health Sciences
Murdoch University

"it is not banned for public health use in most areas of the world where 
malaria is endemic. Indeed, DDT was recently exempted from a proposed 
worldwide ban on organophosphate chemicals.

DDT usage for malaria control involves spraying the walls and backs of 
furniture, so as to kill and repel adult mosquitoes that may carry the 
malaria parasite. Other chemicals are available for this purpose, but DDT is 
cheap and persistent and is often a very effective indoor insecticide which 
is still used in many parts of the world.

DDT is not used for outdoor mosquito control, partly because scientific 
studies have demonstrated toxicity to wildlife, but mainly because its 
persistence in the environment rapidly leads to the development of 
resistance to the insecticide in mosquito populations. There are now much 
more effective and acceptable insecticides, such as Bacillus thuringiensis, 
to kill larval mosquitoes outdoors. "

The Wiki article also goes on to quote from the Journal of the AMA which 
lists the reasons for problems in So. Africa as "leadership, management and 
money," not the restrictions on DDT AND, the resistance of the malaraia 
parasite to chloroquine as the cause of increasming malaria mortality in 
sub-Saharan Africa.

The article also states that in Sri Lanka there is a problem because of 
resistance to DDT.  "A recent study notes, "DDT and Malathion are no longer 
recommended since An. culicifacies and An. subpictus has been found 
resistant."[

At anyrate, the good docs are selective in their ideas and like to play with 
words, facts and stats.  Like I said, what can one expect from Bezerkley <g> 
So, if it is the greatest thing every invented, then I think it is seriously 
failing.

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rob" <becida AT comcast.net>


> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDT
>
> >>Malaria afflicts between 300 million and 500 million people every
> year. The World Health Organization estimates that around 1 million
> people die of malaria and malaria-related illness every year,[48]
> with about 90% of these deaths occur in Africa, mostly to children
> under the age of 5.