DDT, global strategies, and a malaria control crisis in South America.’’ Emerging Infectious Diseases 3(3

Malaria is reemerging in most disease-endemic countries of South America (Figure 1). Even though disease incidence is increasing, the level of increase is undefined. More importantly, the reasons for the increase in malaria rates after decades of successful disease control have not been assessed. Herein we will show how rapidly malaria is increasing, examine the patterns of resurgent malaria in relationship to the Global Malaria Control Strategy (1), and test the hypo-thesis that increased malaria is due to decreased spraying of homes with DDT. Also, we will discuss recent actions to ban DDT, the health costs of such a ban, perspectives on DDT use in agricul-ture versus malaria control, and costs versus benefits of DDT and alternative insecticides