[ RadSafe ] Correction - left out resistant "mosquitoes carrying" plasmodia malaria

[howard long]

In trying to leep my comments both brief and specific,
I left out "carrrying mosquitoes" - necessary for accuracy.
 
Indeed, Dukelow does claim resistance to DDT.
 EU and other anti-DDT, anti-nuc forces are causing millions of deaths.
 
Howard Long
 

"Dukelow, James S Jr" <jim.dukelow at pnl.gov> wrote:

One more indication that Dr. Long writes about subjects that he doesn't
understand.
-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
Behalf Of howard long
Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2005 4:36 PM
To: radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: [ RadSafe ] DDT - needed now, but opposed by nuclear energy
opponents


Like nuclear power, DDT use has been unscientifically castigated.

On Radsafe last month, DDT was claimed to have resistant plasmodia
malaria

and other problems. These are put in perspective by these observations
about its current use.



Howard Long



================

Nobody has asserted on Radsafe the existence of DDT-resistant plasmodia
malaria. Indeed such an assertion would be silly. DDT kills some
insects. Plasmodia are protozoa. There are drugs that attack the
various plasmodia species that attack humans, beginning with quinine,
discovered several centuries ago in Peru and brought back to Europe by
Jesuits. There is a story that Oliver Cromwell died of malaria because
he wouldn't allow himself to be treated with "that Papist drug".
Quinine eventually became ineffective because all surviving plasmodia
were resistant. The same thing has happened with chloroquine.
Mefloquine, doxycycline, and artemesin retain some effectiveness.

Anopheline mosquitos in many locations have become either
physiologically or behaviorally resistant to DDT. That is, they have
evolved enzymes that deactivate DDT or evolved behaviors that limit
their exposure to residual indoor spraying of DDT.

Notwithstanding all of that, I agree with those who support continued
use of DDT in the 3rd world to combat malaria and deplore those in the
governments of the US and Europe who pressure countries not to use it.

Best regards.

Jim Dukelow
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Richland, WA
jim.dukelow at pnl.gov

These comments are mine and have not been reviewed and/or approved by my
management or by the U.S. Department of Energy.