Urban vector and pest control : eleventh report of the WHO Expert Committee on Vector Biology and Control [meeting held in Geneva from 15 to 21 September 1987]

Abstract

An expert assessment of the health problems created by vector and pest proliferation in the wake of rapid urbanization. Global in its scope, the report concentrates on facts and figures that indicate the magnitude of the problem and point towards the most appropriate methods of control. Information is specific to vector and pest species and to geographical region. The most important urban vectors and pests are characterized in terms of the diseases they transmit, their ecological behaviour in the urban environment, susceptibility to control measures, and geographical importance. Additional background information is provided through a situation analysis, by geographical region, of urban vector and pest problems and a review of the advantages and disadvantages of the various chemical, biological, and environmental methods currently used for control. Innovative approaches, particularly for mosquito control, are also briefly discussed. The second half of the report extends practical guidance for the planning and implementation of control strategies that are cost-effective as well as appropriate to the special conditions of vector control in an urban environment