Pyrethrin is an insecticide that is obtained from the Chrysanthemum flower (Pyrethrum). In this study, we examined the genotoxic effects of pyrethrin on cultured human lymphocytes using sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and 8-hydroxy deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) assays. Cultures were treated with different concentrations of pyrethrin (25, 50, and 100 μg/mL), which was dissolved in in dimethyl sulfox...

Cross-sectional entomological surveys were carried out during the 2006 dry and rainy seasons in Lagdo, Cameroon to measure the impact of rice cultivation on malaria transmission and to monitor vector susceptibility to insecticides. Adult anopheline mosquitoes were captured on human volunteers and by pyrethrum spray collections. A total of 4740 mosquitoes was collected during the study. Anophele...

The Pacific islands have a diverse range of food and cash crops with indigenous and introduced nematode problems. The staple food crops have serious nematode pests, such as Meloidogyne spp. on sweet potato, Hirschmanniella miticausa causing corm rot of taro, and Pratylenchus coffeae and Radopholus sp. producing tuber dry rot of yams. Bananas are infested with P. coffeae or R. similis, citrus wi...

Naturally occurring insecticides are abundant and varied in their effects, though but a few are articles of commerce. Even for these, pyrethrum, nicotine, rotenone, hellebore, ryania, and sabadilla, there is a paucity of information on mammalian toxicology and environmental effects. In general, these materials are characterized favorably by low acute toxicity and ready dissipation in nature. Un...

A new strain, SD12, was isolated from tannery waste polluted soil and identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa on the basis of phenotypic traits and by comparison of 16S rRNA sequences. This bacterium exhibited broad-spectrum antagonistic activity against phytopathogenic fungi. The strain produced phosphatases, cellulases, proteases, pectinases, and HCN and also retained its ability to produce hydr...

We have comparatively studied the dynamics of malaria transmission in the villages of Mokolo-Douvar located in the rural area with traditional agriculture and Gounougou irrigated rice area, in 2004 August and November and 2006 May and October, to assess vectors biting habits, and malaria inoculation rate and malaria parasite prevalence in cohort of children from 0 to 15 years. Mosquitoes were c...

An entomological survey was conducted in Cameroon between October 2004 and September 2005, in nine localities targeted for malaria vector control based on adult productivity and variability. Mosquitoes were collected by human-landing catches (HLCs) and pyrethrum spray catches. A total of 12 500 anophelines were collected and dissected: Anopheles gambiae s.l. (56.86%), An. funestus s.l. (32.57%)...

BACKGROUND Dimeticones kill head lice by physical means. Here we assessed in a comparative bioassay the ex vivo efficacy of "NYDA sensitiv", a new two-phase dimeticone-based pediculicide similar to a product established on the market, but without fragrances. METHODS We compared efficacy of the new product to a positive dimeticone control group, a sample of four other insecticidal and natural ...