Kidney function and DDT value comparison in pre- and post-spray plasma of the spray personnel in Northern Uganda in 2008

Abstract

In-door residual spray of the insecticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane was re-introduced for malaria control in Uganda and there was need to assess its health impact among the spray personnel. To compare kidney function and the insecticide values in pre-and post-spray plasma of spray persons in northern Uganda, heparinized blood samples were analyzed in the Department of Pathology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, for the insecticide and its main metabolite dichlorodiphenylethane using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay kits from AbraxisTM (USA). Urea and creatinine were analyzed on KonelabTM (Finland) chemistry analyzer. The 109 pre-spray samples had mean (SD) values of the insecticide/metabolite of 63 (19) while the 96 post-spray samples had mean (SD) of 77 (26) ppb. The 96 prespray samples had urea concentration mean (SD) of 3.50 (1.11) mmol/L while 119 post-spray samples had mean (SD) of 3.86 (1.07) mmol/L. The pre-spray samples had creatinine mean (SD) of 65.58 (12.05) μmol/L whereas the post-spray had mean (SD) of 79.82 (14.81) μmol/L. The post-spray urea and creatinine values were higher than the pre-spray (p<0.05) despite the fact that all were within reference ranges. The insecticide had no deleterious effects on kidney function. Therefore, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane can be used safely for in-door residual spray in control of malaria disease.

© 2009 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Malaria, mosquito, control, insecticide, urea, creatinine.