Exhibit 052 · Peer-reviewed history
Program to Eradicate Malaria in Sardinia, 1946–1950
The interruption of malaria transmission did not require vector eradication, but with a goal of developing a new strategy to fight malaria, the choice was made to wage a rapid attack with a powerful new chemical. Costing millions of dollars, 267 metric tons of DDT were spread over the island. Although malaria was eliminated, the main objective, complete eradication of the vector, was not achieved.
Describes the 1946–1950 Rockefeller Foundation experiment in Sardinia to test whether an indigenous vector species could be eradicated. Malaria was eliminated; the mosquito was not.
- Source
- Eugenia Tognotti, Emerging Infectious Diseases 15(9)
- Date
- September 2009
- Quoted from
- Abstract
- Grade
- Peer-reviewed
- Document
- https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/15/9/08-1317_article
- Accessed
- 2026-11-09
- Cited by
- Findings citing this exhibit
- Note
- Tognotti gives 267 metric tons of DDT; the Rockefeller Archive Center gives ten thousand tons. Neither source reconciles the figures.