NAME: ONYINYECHI NDUKWE

MATRIC NUMBER: U19DLNS20600

DEPARTMENT: NURSING DCIENCE
LEVEL:200L

Vector
Vector is an insect or any animal that transmits a disease to other animals or humans.
Example, Mosquitoes, tsetse, ticks, lice, fleas, etc

Vector Borne Disease

A vector-borne disease is caused by a pathogenic microorganism transmitted by an arthropod
or other agent. Mosquitoes are one of the deadliest animals in the world, spreading diseases
such as Dengue, Lymphatic Filariasis, Zika and Malaria. Vectors such as sand flies, black
flies, tsetse flies and mosquitoes cause 17% of all infectious disease burden.
Transmission of vector-borne disease requires at least three different organisms:
 Pathogenic agent (causes the disease e.g. a bacterium, virus or fungus)
 Vector (carries the disease and disperses reproductive structure)
 A human host
According to WHO, there are more than 1 billion cases and over 1 million deaths from vector
borne diseases a year globally. These devastating diseases have an overwhelming impact in
developing countries in the tropics.
Many different factors such as climate change, growing urbanization and changes in
agricultural methods cause levels of disease transmission to fluctuate. People displaced and
caught up in conflict or natural crises are even more vulnerable to VBD since little or no
shelter and poor sanitation increases exposure to vector contact. Alongside malnutrition in the
poorest communities, multiple infections decrease the ability of the immune system, meaning
that the body cannot fight preventable diseases.
Vector Control
Vector control is any method to limit or eradicate the mammals, birds, insects or other
arthropods (here collectively called "vectors") which transmit disease pathogens.
Vectors are living organisms that serve as vehicles to transmit a pathogen (a disease-causing
agent like a virus or parasite) from a host to a human or to an animal or both. They are
predominantly pests, such as insects and ticks. Birds and mammals such as rats and mice can
also be considered vectors, as they both can carry and transmit disease.
Vector control is crucial to reduce the incidence of infection from diseases; this is especially
important for those for which there is currently no effective cure or preventive medical
measures available, such as Dengue, West Nile virus and Chikungunya virus. Even for
vector-borne diseases for which effective and targeted medical treatment exists, such as
malaria, issues such as cost, delivery, correct diagnosis, drug resistance and other challenges
make disease control through the use of medical drugs alone an unrealistic alternative to
disease prevention by vector control. Both prevention and treatment are needed.
The WHO website on environmental health states "Environmental health addresses all the
physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person, and all the related factors
impacting behaviours. It encompasses the assessment and control of those environmental
factors that can potentially affect health. It is targeted towards preventing disease and creating
health-supportive environments
What are the methods of vector control?
Vector control involves using preventive methods to eradicate or control vector populations,
in order to limit the transmission and spread of diseases. Preventative measures include:
• Habitat control and Environmental management: Removing or reducing the number of
places where the vector can breed helps to limit populations from growing excessively. For
example, by removing stagnant water, removing old tires and empty cans which serve as
mosquito breeding habitats and through good management of used water.
• Reducing contact with vectors: Reducing the risk of exposure to insects or animals that are
vectors of diseases can limit the risk of infection. For example, using bed nets, adding
window screens to homes, or wearing protective clothing can help reduce the likelihood of
coming into contact with vectors. An important component of exposure reduction is also the
promotion of health education and raising awareness of risks. Bed nets treated with
insecticide can reduce the risk of insect bites and infection.
• Chemical control: Insecticides, larvicides, rodenticides and repellents are used to control
pests and can be used to control vectors. For example, larvicides can be used in mosquito
breeding zones; insecticides can be applied to house walls (indoor residual spraying); bed
nets treated with insecticide and use of personal skin repellents can reduce the risk of insect
bites and thus infection. The use of pesticides for vector control is supported by the World
Health Organization (WHO) and has proven to be highly effective.
• Biological control: The use of predators (natural enemies of the vectors), bacterial toxins or
botanical compounds can help control vector populations. For example, using fish that eat
mosquito larvae or the introduction of sterilized male tsetse flies in order to reduce the
breeding rate of these flies are methods to control vectors and reduce the risk of infection.

Side Effects of Pesticides on Public Health

In spite of the millions of houses sprayed with DDT for malaria control, no accidental deaths
of spray men or householders due to DDT poisoning have been reported. However, some
domestic animals were killed, especially cats, with the result that rat populations increased in
some sprayed areas. Bedbugs, cockroaches, and other household pests soon developed
resistance to DDT, and became more abundant because the DDT had killed many of their
predators. This led some householders to oppose spraying.

In the past, it was claimed that environmental contamination by DDT used in malaria control
was relatively minor because it was sprayed inside houses, and the quantities were much
smaller than those used in agriculture. However, washing of equipment, containers, and
overalls, and the unauthorized use of DDT for other purposes (e.g., fish poisoning) spread the
substance outside the houses. DDT used for malaria control accounted for an estimated 8% of
global DDT contamination. Where pesticides are stockpiled for use in epidemics (e.g.,
dengue), environmental contamination due to leaking containers (some insecticides are
highly corrosive), fire, theft, war, or natural disasters is always a danger.

Extensive studies in the effects on non-target organisms of aerial spraying of endosulfan

against tsetse flies and temephos used in rivers against blackfly larvae have revealed no
permanent damage to treated ecosystems. In the case of tsetse fly control, it has been argued
that any changes to the ecosystems caused by spraying are insignificant compared to the
changes that will follow human settlement of tsetse-cleared land. However, there is no need
for complacency in these matters, and further studies are required.
Limitations of disease vector control
• Environmental management requires cooperation and willingness of all members.
• Bush clearing in tsetse fly control is not regarded as environmental friendly and goes
against environmental conservation.
• High initial costs, especially when applying environmental modification methods
• Procurement of chemicals and procedures are expensive.
• Vectors may develop resistance to chemicals
• Chemicals can accumulate in food chain • Need regular applications
• Can cause irritation, toxicity and other undesirable effects.
• Expensive (e.g. application of male sterile technique to control tsetse).
• Availability of biological agents (e.g. larvivorous fish to control mosquito larva)

Delimitations of disease vector control

• Application of integrated methods of vector control.
• Tax relief /exemption for chemicals
• Community mobilization
• Monitoring insecticides resistance
• Restricted use of pesticides (e.g. restriction of DDT for in indoor use)
• Health education on the importance use of pesticides (e.g. use of treated nets)
• To determine the limits of boundaries for vectors control the community should be involved
right from the initial stage of the project

References

1.  "HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 2010-2014". California Health and Safety Code.
California. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
2.  Gallup, John Luke; Sachs, Jeffrey D. (October 1998). "The Economic Burden of
Malaria" (PDF). The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Centre for International
Development at Harvard. 64 (1-2 Suppl): 85–96. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2001.64.85. PMID 11425181.
3.  "10 Facts on Malaria". World Health Organization. 2009.
4. Walsh, Julia A.; Kenneth S. Warren (1980). "Selective primary health care: An interim strategy for
disease control in developing countries". Social Science & Medicine. Part C: Medical
Economics. 14 (2): 145–63. Doi:10.1016/0160-7995(80)90034-9. PMID 7403901.
5. ^ Golding, Nick; Wilson, Anne L.; Moyes, Catherine L.; Cano, Jorge; Pigott, David M.; Velayudhan,
Raman; Brooker, Simon J.; Smith, David L.; Hay, Simon I.; Lindsay, Steve W. (October
2015). "Integrating vector control across diseases". BMC Medicine. 13 (1):
249. doi:10.1186/s12916-015-0491-4. PMC 4590270. PMID 26423147.
6. ^ "Handbook for Integrated Vector Management" (PDF). World Health Organization. Retrieved 3
December 2015.
7. "Pesticides and their application for the control of vectors and pests of public health
importance" (PDF). World Health Organization. 2006.
8. Vreysen, MJ; et al. (2000). "Glossina austeni (Diptera: Glossinidae) eradicated on the island of
Unguja, Zanzibar, using the sterile insect technique". Journal of Economic Entomology.