DDT reintroduction for malaria control: the cost-benefit debate for public health.

DDT is a persistent insecticide that was widely used in the world from the 1940s until the 70s, when it was banned in the United States and other countries. Most of its toxic effects are not observed in the acute forms, but particularly after chronic exposure. These long-term issues include reproductive effects, varying according to the time of life in which the individuals were exposed. The aims of the current study were to review the principal toxicological effects of DDT on reproduction, stratifying by physiological periods of exposure, and based on the magnitude of these effects, to discuss the cost-benefit relationship of reintroducing DDT with the specifically defined vector control criteria.