Guidelines for efficacy testing of insecticides for indoor and outdoor ground-applied space spray applications

Overview

 The purpose of these guidelines is to provide specific and standardized procedures and criteria for efficacy testing and evaluation of insecticides for indoor and outdoor, ground-applied space spray applications against vectors and pests of public health importance. Their aim is to harmonize the testing procedures carried out in different laboratories and institutions in order to generate comparable data for registering and labelling such products by national regulatory authorities. However, the requirements for registration of pesticides are determined by national regulatory authorities.

These guidelines are an expanded and updated version of those recommended by the WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme (WHOPES) Informal Consultation on the evaluation and testing of insecticides, held at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on 7–11 October 1996. They were reviewed and recommended by the WHO Consultation on testing and evaluation of public health pesticides held at WHO headquarters on 23–27 February 2009.

The document provides guidance and stepwise procedures on laboratory studies, field testing and evaluation leading to the determination of efficacy, and application rates of, insecticides for operational use in indoor and outdoor ground-applied space spray applications. While most examples provided pertain to mosquitoes, with some modifications the guidelines can be used to determine efficacy against other flying vectors and pests of public health importance. Operational trials of products intended for use as space spray treatments should be preceded by laboratory studies and small-scale field assessments that have been conducted in a field or room, depending on whether the treatment is intended for outdoor or indoor use.