Editing Vector control

{{short description|Methods to limit or eradicate the mammals, birds, insects etc. which transmit disease pathogens}}
{{For|vector control of induction motors|Vector control (motor)}}
[[Image:Vector Control.jpg|thumb|Vector control taking place in the Southern United States during the 1920s.]]
'''Vector control''' is any method to limit or eradicate the [[mammal]]s, [[bird]]s, [[insect]]s or other [[arthropod]]s (here collectively called "[[Vector (epidemiology)|vectors]]") which transmit disease [[pathogen]]s. The most frequent type of vector control is [[mosquito control]] using a variety of strategies. Several of the "[[neglected tropical diseases]]" are spread by such vectors.

== Importance ==
For diseases where there is no effective cure, such as [[Zika virus]], [[West Nile fever]] and [[Dengue fever]], vector control remains the only way to protect human populations.{{cn|date=July 2022}}

However, even for vector-borne diseases with effective treatments the high cost of treatment remains a huge barrier to large amounts of developing world populations. Despite being treatable, [[malaria]] has by far the greatest impact on human health from vectors. In Africa, a child dies every minute of malaria; this is a reduction of more than 50% since 2000 due to vector control.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs094/en/|title=WHO Malaria|year=2015|publisher=World Health Organization}}</ref> In countries where malaria is well established the World Health Organization estimates countries lose 1.3% annual economic income due to the disease.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.earth.columbia.edu/sitefiles/file/about/director/pubs/mal_wb.pdf|title=The Economic Burden of Malaria|last2=Sachs|first2=Jeffrey D.|date=October 1998|publisher=Center for International Development at Harvard|first1=John Luke|last1=Gallup|journal=The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene|volume=64|issue=1-2 Suppl|pages=85–96|doi=10.4269/ajtmh.2001.64.85|pmid=11425181|s2cid=3585047 }}</ref> Both prevention through vector control and treatment are needed to protect populations.{{cn|date=July 2022}}

As the impacts of disease and virus are devastating, the need to control the vectors in which they carried is prioritized. Vector control in many developing countries can have tremendous impacts as it reduces mortality rates, especially among infants.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.who.int/features/factfiles/malaria/en/index.html|title=10 Facts on Malaria|year=2009|publisher=World Health Organization}}</ref> Because of the high movement of the population, disease spread is also a greater issue in these areas.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Walsh|first=Julia A.|year=1980|title=Selective primary health care: An interim strategy for disease control in developing countries|journal=Social Science & Medicine. Part C: Medical Economics|volume=14|issue=2|pages=145–63|doi=10.1016/0160-7995(80)90034-9|pmid=7403901|author2=Kenneth S. Warren}}</ref>

As many vector control methods are effective against multiple diseases, they can be integrated together to combat multiple diseases at once.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Golding|first1=Nick|last2=Wilson|first2=Anne L.|last3=Moyes|first3=Catherine L.|last4=Cano|first4=Jorge|last5=Pigott|first5=David M.|last6=Velayudhan|first6=Raman|last7=Brooker|first7=Simon J.|last8=Smith|first8=David L.|last9=Hay|first9=Simon I.|date=October 2015|title=Integrating vector control across diseases|journal=BMC Medicine|volume=13|pages=249|doi=10.1186/s12916-015-0491-4|pmid=26423147|pmc=4590270|number=1|first10=Steve W.|last10=Lindsay |doi-access=free }}</ref> The [[World Health Organization]] therefore recommends "Integrated Vector Management" as the process for developing and implementing strategies for vector control.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/44768/1/9789241502801_eng.pdf|title=Handbook for Integrated Vector Management|publisher=[[World Health Organization]]|access-date=3 December 2015}}</ref>

== Methods ==
Vector control focuses on utilizing preventive methods to control or eliminate vector populations. Common preventive measures are:

===Habitat and environmental control===
Removing or reducing areas where vectors can easily breed can help limit their growth. For example, stagnant water removal, destruction of old tires and cans which serve as mosquito breeding environments, and good management of used water can reduce areas of excessive vector incidence.{{cn|date=July 2022}}

Further examples of environmental control is by reducing the prevalence of [[open defecation]] or improving the designs and maintenance of [[pit latrine]]s. This can reduce the incidence of flies acting as vectors to spread diseases via their contact with [[Human feces|feces]] of infected people.{{cn|date=July 2022}}

===Reducing contact===
Limiting exposure to insects or animals that are known disease vectors can reduce infection risks significantly.  For example, bed nets, window screens on homes, or protective clothing can help reduce the likelihood of contact with vectors. To be effective this requires education and promotion of methods among the population to raise the awareness of vector threats.

===Chemical control===
[[Insecticides]], [[larvicides]], [[rodenticides]], [[Lethal ovitrap]]s and repellents can be used to control vectors. For example, larvicides can be used in mosquito breeding zones; insecticides can be applied to house walls or bed nets, and use of personal repellents can reduce incidence of insect bites and thus infection. The use of pesticides for vector control is promoted by the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) and has proven to be highly effective.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=World Health Organization|year=2006|title=Pesticides and their application for the control of vectors and pests of public health importance|url=http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2006/WHO_CDS_NTD_WHOPES_GCDPP_2006.1_eng.pdf}}</ref>

===Biological control===
The use of natural vector predators, such as [[bacterial]] toxins or [[botany|botanical]] compounds, can help control vector populations. Using fish that eat [[mosquito]] larvae, the use of [[Catfish]] to eat up mosquito larvae in ponds can eradicate the mosquito population, or reducing breeding rates by [[Sterile insect technique|introducing sterilized male]] [[tsetse fly|tsetse flies]] have been shown to control vector populations and reduce infection risks.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Vreysen|first=MJ|year=2000|title=Glossina austeni (Diptera: Glossinidae) eradicated on the island of Unguja, Zanzibar, using the sterile insect technique|journal=Journal of Economic Entomology|volume=93|issue=1|pages=123–135|doi=10.1603/0022-0493-93.1.123|pmid=14658522|s2cid=41188926|display-authors=etal|doi-access=free}}</ref>

== Legislation ==

=== United States ===
In the United States, cities or special districts are responsible for vector control. For example, in California, the [[Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District]] is a special district set up by the state to oversee vector control in multiple cities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=hsc&group=02001-03000&file=2010-2014|title=HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 2010-2014|publisher=California|work=California Health and Safety Code|access-date=18 December 2013}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Mosquito control]]
* [[Public health]]
* [[Soil-transmitted helminth]]
* [[Waterborne diseases]]

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Public health}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vector Control}}
[[Category:Epidemiology]]
[[Category:Pest control techniques]]