It is time to bring back the insecticide DDT, as yellow fever, zika, malaria, West Nile, dengue and bedbugs are all making a comeback. DDT was banned after the book Silent Spring, written by Rachel Carson, made the case that the avian population was threatened with extinction due to the substance. DDT was said to result in the decline of raptors, because the chemical caused their egg shells to thin. Other studies showed thinning egg shells had started before the use of DDT. In 2006, the WHO acknowledged the effectiveness of DDT sprayed indoors, as a means of combatting malaria in Africa, but it left the decision to use DDT to each individual country.

Source: National Post August 19, 2016 16:52 UTC