The effect of the spatial repellent metofluthrin on landing rates of outdoor biting anophelines in Cambodia, S.E. Asia

Department of Entomology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine,, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Centro Nacional de Malaria, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
DOI
10.7287/peerj.preprints.751v1
Subject Areas
Biotechnology, Ecology, Environmental Sciences, Epidemiology
Keywords
malaria, outdoor transmission, repellent, metofluthrin, Cambodia, mosquito
Copyright
© 2014 Charlwood et al.
Licence
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction and adaptation in any medium and for any purpose provided that it is properly attributed. For attribution, the original author(s), title, publication source (PeerJ PrePrints) and either DOI or URL of the article must be cited.
Cite this article
Charlwood JDD, Nenhep N, Protopopoff N, Siv S, Morgan JC, Hemingway J. 2014. The effect of the spatial repellent metofluthrin on landing rates of outdoor biting anophelines in Cambodia, S.E. Asia. PeerJ PrePrints 2:e751v1

Abstract

Without controlling outdoor transmission, the goal of elimination of malaria is unlikely to be reached. This is particularly the case in places like Cambodia where people spend considerable amounts of time away from houses at night. Metofluthrin is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide with a high vapor action at ambient temperatures and has been developed as a long lasting insect repellent device that works without the need to apply heat. Emanators of 10% of metofluthrin were therefore tested in landing collections against potential malaria vectors from three areas of the country (Pailin, Pursat and Koh Kong). One to four emanators were hung on wire 1m off the ground on one or four sides of a square 1.5m from collectors. Collections were also undertaken with Furvela tent-traps. 2086 hrs of landing collection were undertaken in Pailin, 528hrs in Veal Veng and 320 in Kroh Salau. Rate ratios were used to determine the significance of the difference between collections. The principal anophelines collected varied between locations. Anopheles minimus s.l. was the most common mosquito in Pailin, An. maculatus s.l in Veal Veng and An. sinensis in Kroh Salau. Among all species collected in Pailin landing rates were reduced by 50% (95% CI 55-44%) when a single emanator was used and by 58% (95% CI 63- 52%) when four were used. The effect was greater in An.minimus s.l 51% ( 95% CI 54-47%) and 70% (72%-66%) respectively. A similar result was obtained in Pursat, where 67% (95% CI 66- 42%) reductions were observed when four emanators were in use, but no significant reduction was observed in Koh Kong. Although the results show promise it is argued that the product needs further development.

Author Comment

This is a submission to PeerJ for review.

Supplemental Information

Excel spreadsheet of raw data used in the present experiment. Column headings are explained in sheet 4

DOI: 10.7287/peerj.preprints.751v1/supp-1

Mean numbers collected, and rate ratios, by species or species group and collection type/time when 0, 1 or 4 metofluthrin emanators were in use, Pailin, Cambodia

DOI: 10.7287/peerj.preprints.751v1/supp-2