West Nile Virus Pesticides and Toxicology
What is a Pesticide?
The links provided below offer background information on the definition a pesticide, and how pesticides are regulated by the government. Additional information on product formulations and "other" ingredients are provided for an overall understanding of formulated pesticide products.
- What is a Pesticide? - EPA
- How the Government Regulates Pesticides - EPA
- What is and What isn't a Pesticide? - University of Florida Extension
- Mosquito Control Methods, Pesticides for Mosquitoes - EPA
- Pesticide Formulations (pdf) - NPIC
- Inert or "Other" Ingredients (pdf) - NPIC
- Questions About What is in Pesticides: Inert Ingredients - Extension Toxicology Network
Pesticide Toxicology:
To assess pesticide risk one should have an understanding of the basic principles of toxicology, including exposure and dose-response assessment. The information below is provided to help you assess your risk.
- Questions About Pesticide Exposure - Extension Toxicology Network
- Risk Assessment Background - Extension Toxicology Network
- Risk Characterization - Extension Toxicology Network
- Exposure Assessment - Extension Toxicology Network
- Dose-Response Relationships in Toxicology - Extension Toxicology Network
- Dose-Response Assessment - Extension Toxicology Network
- Bioaccumulation - Extension Toxicology Network
- What are Endocrine Disruptors? - EPA
- Questions about Endocrine Disruptors - Extension Toxicology Network
- Environmental Hormones / Bibliography - Extension Toxicology Network
Environmental Fate and Ecotoxicology:
Links below provide access to general information about environmental fate of pesticides. Fact sheets regarding wildlife and ecological risk are also provided.
- Questions About Pesticide Environmental Fate - Extension Toxicology Network
- Movement of Pesticides in the Environment - Extension Toxicology Network
- Ecological Risk Assessment Page - EPA
- Pesticides and Ecological Risk Assessment - Purdue University Cooperative Extension
- Pesticides and Wildlife - Purdue University Cooperative Extension
Pesticides and Mosquito Management
The links provided below are documents pertaining to pesticides and mosquito control.
- Mosquito Control and West Nile Virus - EPA
- Mosquito Control - EPA
- Methods of Mosquito Control - EPA
- PR Notice 2005-1 - Labeling Statements on Products Used for Adult Mosquito Control (pdf) - EPA
- PR Notice 2005-1 Question and Answer - EPA
- A Human Health Risk Assessment for West Nile Virus and Insecticides used in Mosquito Management (pdf). Environmental Health Perspectives. ehponline.org, October 28, 2005.
- Interim Statement and Guidance on Application of Pesticides to Waters of the United States in Compliance with FIFRA (pdf) - EPA
- Mosquito Control and Exposure to Pesticides, Virginia and North Carolina 2003 (pdf) - CDC
- Pesticides and Public Health: Integrated Methods of Mosquito Management. Emerg Inf Dis 2001 Jan-Feb; 7(1).
- Safety of Pesticides Used to Control Adult Mosquitoes: Questions and Answers for Public Health Professionals - California Department of Health Services
- Mosquito Management - University of Florida, Mosquito Information Web Site
- Public Health Pest Control: Pesticide Applicator Training Manual - University of Florida
- Carbon Dioxide Mosquito Traps No Magic Bullet, Say UF Experts - University of Florida Extension
- Mosquito Control Devices and Services for Florida Homeowners - University of Florida Extension
- Mosquito Trapping Devices - University of Florida Extension
Larvicide and Adulticide Active Ingredients:
Mosquito control for West Nile virus often includes "adulticide" applications to control adult mosquitoes and/or the application of "larvicides" to prevent larvae from maturing into biting adult mosquitoes. Below are links to information on some pesticide active ingredients used to control mosquitoes. Mosquito control products may also require a synergist, which is a chemical that lacks pesticidal activity on its own, but enhances the pesticidal properties of other chemicals.
Visit the "state information" page to find links to your health department, mosquito control program, or state lead pesticide agency to find out what pesticide active ingredients may have been used in your state for WNV mosquito control.
Larvicides
- Larvicides for Mosquito Control - EPA
- West Nile Virus Larvicides - New York City Department of Health
- West Nile Virus ALTOSID / Methoprene - New York City Department of Health
- West Nile Virus VECTOLEX (Bacillus sphaericus) - New York City Department of Health
- West Nile Virus VECTOBAC (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) - New York City Department of Health
- Bacillus Thuringiensis General Fact Sheet (pdf) - NPIC
- Bacillus Thuringiensis Technical Fact Sheet (pdf) - NPIC
Adulticides
- Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids Fact Sheet (pdf) - NPIC
- Pyrethrins Registration Eligibility Decision (RED) - EPA
- Synthetic Pyrethroid Pesticides (mammalian and wildlife toxicity tables) - University of Florida
- Permethrin and Resmethrin (Pyrethroids) Chemical Summary - EPA
Resmethrin Registration Eligibility Decision (RED) - EPA - Permethrin, Resmethrin, Sumithrin: Synthetic Pyrethroids for Mosquito Control - EPA
- Anvil and Mosquito Control Information Sheet - New York State Department of Health
- Sumithrin: From Inception to Integration within West Nile Virus Programs. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2001. 951:354-356.
- Scourge and Mosquito Control Information Sheet - New York State Department of Health
- Naled for Mosquito Control - EPA
- Malathion for Mosquito Control - EPA
- Malathion and Mosquito Control Information Sheet - New York State Department of Health
- Malathion Bioassay for Possible Carcinogenicity - NIEHS
- Malathion Reregistration Eligibility Documents - EPA
- Safety of Pesticides Used to Control Adult Mosquitoes: Questions and Answers for Public Health Professionals - California Department of Health Services
Synergists
- Piperonyl Butoxide General Fact Sheet (pdf) - NPIC
- Piperonyl Butoxide Technical Fact Sheet (pdf) - NPIC
- Piperonyl Butoxide - Bioassay of Piperonyl Butoxide for Possible Carcinogenicity - NIEHS
Choosing and Using Insect Repellents:
In response to WNV, some state health officials recommend the use of mosquito repellents to aid in reducing bites. Links to information about DEET, and other mosquito repellents are provided below.
Visit the "state information" page to find links to your health department, mosquito control program, or state lead pesticide agency to find out what pesticide active ingredients may have been used in your state for WNV mosquito control.
