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Some countries may require that aircraft from countries with certain insects or insect-borne diseases, such as malaria and Zika virus, receive insecticide treatment. Under the Chicago Convention, which governs international civil aviation, a country can impose such a requirement if it perceives a threat to its public health, agriculture, or environment. This treatment is called disinsection.
The only pesticides recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for aircraft disinsection are synthetic pyrethroids (permethrin, d-phenothrin, and 1R-trans-phenothrin).2 Other pesticides, including DDT (dichlorodiphyltrichloroethane), were used to disinsect aircraft several years ago but are no longer used.
Aircrew Safety & Health – Exposure to Pesticides on Aircraft
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no evidence that using insecticides to kill mosquitoes in aircraft cabins is effective in preventing the introduction and spread of mosquito-borne diseases. Therefore, the CDC does not recommend the use of insecticides to kill insects in commercial aircraft for the prevention of the spread of Zika. The CDC's Technical Statement on the Role of Disinsection of Airplanes or Ships states that an infected person is the most common source of imported mosquito-borne viruses.