Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT): A Weapon Missing From the U.S. Department of Defense's Vector Control Arsenal

Abstract

Per the National Academy of Sciences: To only a few chemicals does man owe as great a debt as to DDT. That same committee concluded that in less than two decades of use, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) had prevented 500 million deaths from malaria. So, what has been the history of DDT use by the U.S. military? How did a chemical with such an amazing ability to halt the spread of disease itself end up virtually eradicated in only 2 years? Is there evidence that DDT can be used safely and effectively? And, what are the current risks to U.S. military personnel?

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA580048

Entities

People

  • Billy D. Pruett

Organizations

  • United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Chemical Weapons
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Environmental Protection
  • Health
  • Health Services
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Medicine
  • Military Operations
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Personnel
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Protective Equipment
  • Public Health
  • Yellow Fever

Readers

  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Public Financial Management and Budgeting
  • Vector-Borne Disease and Entomology