Aircraft disinsection

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Aircraft disinsection is the use of insecticide on international flights and in other closed spaces for insect and disease control. Confusion with disinfection, the elimination of microbes on surfaces, is not uncommon. [1] Insect vectors of disease, mostly mosquitoes, have been introduced into and become indigenous in geographic areas where they were not previously present. [2] Dengue, chikungunya and Zika spread across the Pacific and into the Americas by means of the airline networks. [3] Cases of "airport malaria", in which live malaria-carrying mosquitoes disembark and infect people near the airport, may increase with global warming. [4]

Definitions in the International Health Regulations [5] (IHR) of the World Health Organization are:

Disinsection is mandated by the IHR. [6] The WHO recommends d-phenothrin (2%) for space spraying and permethrin (2%) for residual disinsection. [7] Neither is harmful when used as recommended, according to WHO. Disinsection is one of two applications of the IHR likely to be encountered by travelers; yellow fever vaccination is the other. [8]

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References

  1. "Erratum: Yellow fever, Asia and the East African slave trade". Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 108: 519. 2014. doi: 10.1093/trstmh/tru081 .
  2. Gratz, NG; Steffen, R; Cocksedge, W (2000). "Why aircraft disinsection?". Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 78 (8): 995–1004. PMC   2560818 . PMID   10994283.
  3. Roth, A; Mercier, A; Lepers, C; Hoy, D; Duituturaga, S; Benyon, E; Guillaumot, L; Souares, Y (16 October 2014). "Concurrent outbreaks of dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus infections - an unprecedented epidemic wave of mosquito-borne viruses in the Pacific 2012-2014". Euro Surveillance. 19 (41): 20929. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES2014.19.41.20929 . PMID   25345518.
  4. "Global Warming Plus Jet Travel Fuels 'Airport Malaria'". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 16 February 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  5. "Strengthening health security by implementing the International Health Regulations (2005)". World Health Organization. Retrieved 16 February 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  6. "Aircraft disinsection". International travel and health. World Health Organization. Retrieved 16 February 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  7. "AIRCRAFT DISINFECTION INSECTICIDES" (PDF). World Health Organization. Retrieved 16 February 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  8. Hardiman, M; Wilder-Smith, A (2007). "The revised international health regulations and their relevance to travel medicine". Journal of Travel Medicine. 14 (3): 141–4. doi: 10.1111/j.1708-8305.2007.00117.x . PMID   17437468.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)