Dear Editor,
Even with the presence of regular mosquito nets people complain that they are still bitten during their sleep at night. Visitors returning from Guyana often display their swollen, blackened and itchy hands and legs like badges of honour for their trip home.
Mosquito nets are basic necessities in any tropical country. Most beds in Guyana are covered with one. But mosquitoes, as we know so well, can feed on people through the nets, and a few small holes provide little, if any, protection from the swarms looking to find a way in.
But there is something better for defeating the disease carrying mosquito: LLIN.
LLIN stands for Long-Lasting Insecticide-treated Nets and these have proven extremely effective in combating the mosquito. The US Center for Disease Control says that the nets are treated with insecticides that kill mosquitoes and other insects. “The insecticides also have repellent properties that reduce the number of mosquitoes that enter the house and attempt to feed. In addition, if high community coverage is achieved, the numbers and longevity of mosquitoes will be reduced. When this happens, all members of the community are protected, regardless of bed net ownership.”
THE CDC says insecticide-treated bed nets are a form of personal protection that has repeatedly been shown to reduce severe disease and death due to malaria. In community-wide trials in several African settings, the nets have reduced mortality by about 20%.
Of course, the immediate worry is what effect the insecticide will have on people or pets, but the CDC explains that only pyrethroid insecticides are approved for use on nets. “These insecticides have very low mammalian toxicity but are highly toxic to insects and have a rapid knock-down effect, even at very low doses. Pyrethroids have a high residual effect,” the CDC says, adding, “they do not rapidly break down unless washed or exposed to sunlight.”
If the Health Ministry in Guyana thinks it’s a good idea, people might consider asking their relatives overseas to pack a few of the nets in the next barrel or box, or maybe some intrepid businessperson might consider importing them.
You can check the nets online at companies such as, Duranet (Clarke Mosquito Control), Interceptor Net (BASF), NetProtect, Olyset Net or PermaNet.
Yours faithfully,
Justin de Freitas