Deltamethrin

Deltamethrin is a pyrethroid ester insecticide.

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Deltamethrin products are among some of the most popular and widely used insecticides in the world and have become very popular with pest control operators and individuals in the United States in the past five years. This material is a member of one of the safest classes of pesticides: synthetic pyrethroids.

There are many uses for deltamethrin, ranging from agricultural uses to home pest control. Deltamethrin has been instrumental in preventing the spread of diseases carried by tick-infested prairie dogs, rodents and other burrowing animals. It is helpful in eliminating and preventing a wide variety of household pests, especially spiders, fleas, ticks, carpenter ants, carpenter bees and cockroaches.

Deltamethrin is also one of the primary ingredients in ant chalk.

Malaria control

Further, Deltamethrin plays a key role in controlling malaria vectors, and is used by companies like Tana Netting to manufacture long-lasting insecticidal mosquito nets.

Recently, in South Africa, residues of deltamethrin were found in breast milk, together with DDT, in an area that used DDT treatment for malaria control, as well as pyrethroids in small-scale agriculture.^[1]

Human poisoning

While deltamethrin is easy to use and very effective, it should always be treated with respect. It should be applied according to the instructions that come with the insecticide. When care is not taken, deltamethrin poisoning can occur.

Since deltamethrin is a neurotoxin, it attacks the nervous system. Skin contact can lead to tingling or reddening of the skin local to the application. If taken in through the eyes or mouth, a common symptom is facial paraesthesia, which can feel like many different abnormal sensations, including burning, partial numbness, "pins and needles", skin crawling, etc.

There are no antidotes, and treatment must be symptomatic, as approved by a physician. Over time, deltamethrin is metabolized, with a rapid loss of toxicity, and passed from the body. Contact a Poison Control center or your physician as soon as possible for guidance in treatment.

References

1. ^ Bouwman, H et al,[1]|2006. Simultaneous presence of DDT and pyrethroid residues in human breast milk from a malaria endemic area in South Africa. Environmental Pollution 144, 902-917