Clinical Trial: Field Evaluation of Plant-based Mosquito Control

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Field Evaluation of Malaria Vector Control Using Traditional Plant-based Anti-mosquito Measures in Yunnan Province, P.R. China

Brief Summary: Isolated minority communities in China use traditional plant-based methods of mosquito control. This study is evaluating 4 plants used in this way by monitoring mosquitoes entering houses on nights when the plants are being used in this way. A blind, placebo controlled study design will monitor plant use and record mosquito species / numbers caught in CDC light traps indoors over 3 months.

Detailed Summary:

Introduction

One of the greatest challenges to those planning vector control programmes in developing Countries is the provision of cover to those populations in remote or isolated areas. Commonly, it is these communities which bear the greatest burden of disease due to location and inaccessibility to local health care. Yunnan Province is a good example of such problems. The border region with Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam contributes a high proportion of all malaria cases in the whole of China, yet few if any disease control initiatives cover the rural minority peoples and migrant workers who inhabit the region. Comprehensive ethnobotanical surveys in the area have shown many of the 25 minority peoples living in isolated communities already use traditional herbal forms of mosquito control utilising several of the abundant species in the particularly diverse local environment. Having identified a number of potentially useful plant species being used, in terms of their availability, sustainability, low cost (free) and known chemical constituents, the investigators and the local Chinese malaria control officials consider a phase II evaluation of the most promising candidates is justified. In particular, 4 widely used plants are traditionally used as fumigants to reduce / prevent mosquitoes entering houses, either by burning dried or fresh material on the indoor cooking fires each evening, or by spraying tinctures around entry sites like eaves & windows. Due to the method of use, it would be very difficult to simulate this in the laboratory, so a simple means of field evaluation has been chosen.

Materials

The ethnobotanical survey revealed the following plant species as candidates for further study; Artemesia argyi, Eucalyptus robusta, Eupatorium odoratum, Cinnamomum glandulif
Sponsor: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Current Primary Outcome: Reduction in vector mosquitoes entering houses [ Time Frame: per night over 45 nights ]

Original Primary Outcome: Reduction in vector mosquitoes entering houses

Current Secondary Outcome: Reduced human biting by mosquitoes [ Time Frame: per night over 45 nights ]

Original Secondary Outcome: Reduced human biting by mosquitoes

Information By: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Dates:
Date Received: June 30, 2005
Date Started: July 2005
Date Completion:
Last Updated: September 1, 2016
Last Verified: February 2007