Does washing insecticide-treated nets 20 times for experimental hut evaluations provide a suitable proxy for their end-of-life performance under household conditions?

Table 3 Mortality results of wild, pyrethroid-resistant Anopheles gambiae sensu lato entering experimental huts in Covè, southern Benin

Net type	Net status	Mean hole index	N collected*	N dead 72 h	% Mortality 72 h* (95% CIs)
Untreated net (control)	–	138.0	882^a	9	1.0^a (0.3–1.7)
Interceptor^®	New unwashed	138.0	753^b	74	9.8^b (7.7–11.9)
	Washed 20 times	138.0	1522^c	148	9.7^b (8.2–11.2)
	Field-aged 3 years	454.2	706^de	75	10.6^b (8.3–12.9)
PermaNet^® 3.0	New unwashed	138.0	504^de	163	32.3^c (28.2–36.4)
	Washed 20 times	138.0	1292^cf	153	11.8^b (10.0–13.6)
	Field-aged 3 years	369.3	823^b	146	17.7^d (15.1–20.3)
Royal Guard^®	New unwashed	138.0	1201^f	435	36.2^c (33.5–38.9)
	Washed 20 times	138.0	1492^c	139	9.3^b (7.8–10.8)
	Field-aged 3 years	500.2	974^a	133	13.7^b (11.5–15.9)
Interceptor^® G2	New unwashed	138.0	828^be	510	61.6^e (58.3–64.9)
	Washed 20 times	138.0	1141^f	621	54.4^f (51.5–57.3)
	Field-aged 3 years	566.2	850^be	163	19.2^d (16.6–21.8)

^*Values in the same column bearing the same letter do not differ significantly at the 5% level, according to regression analysis. CIs = confidence intervals

ISSN: 1756-3305