Termidor termiticide is just about to be considered for reticulation registration in Brisbane, according to Mr Lindsay McRae (Area Manager Sydney for BASF Australia) at a meeting with Best Pest Control and Enviropest representatives recently. Mr McRae stated that “it was only a matter of time before it was approved for use Australia wide for termite protection on the construction of new buildings using reticulation.”

He also said that Termidor would be considered for ant control as it is now used in the United States. The last time the active ingredient (Fipronil) was reviewed was in September 2003 by the Australian Pesticides & Veterinary Medicines Authority Canberra Australia. They are the National Registration Authority for  Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals in Australia.

Concerns for non-target species were discussed and concerns finally allayed. Below is a summary of the findings as sourced from the APVMA website:

The Reconsideration of Approvals and Registrations
Relating to FIPRONIL
REVIEW SCOPE DOCUMENT
September 2003
Australian Pesticides &
Veterinary Medicines Authority
Canberra
Australia

This scope document for the review of FIPRONIL is published by the Australian Pesticides & Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). For further information about this review or the Veterinary Medicines Review Program contact:

Manager, Veterinary Medicines Review
Australian Pesticides & Veterinary Medicines Authority
PO Box E240
Kingston ACT 2604
Australia
Telephone: 61 2 6272 3213
Facsimile 61 2 6272 3218
Email: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
APVMA web site: http://www.apvma.gov.au 
The Australian Pesticides & Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) is the National Registration Authority for Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals. When reading this document, "APVMA" means "NRA".

SUMMARY
The APVMA has initiated the reconsideration of the approvals of the active constituent fipronil, registration of products containing fipronil and the approval of all associated labels. This document defines the scope of the matters of concern to the APVMA and outlines the kinds of information the APVMA will use to conduct a comprehensive scientific assessment of fipronil.
Fipronil is a broad spectrum insecticide that belongs to a relatively new class of pesticides. Its mechanism of action is interference with the insect central nervous system.

Fipronil is used in veterinary chemical products to control fleas and ticks on cats and dogs and in agricultural chemical products to control a range of insect pests in agricultural crops. It is also included in a number of household products such as cockroach baits and gels and in ant bait stations.

The APVMA has received a number of human and animal adverse experience reports involving products containing fipronil. Reports include skin reactions in animals and humans, neurological signs and deaths in target animals (often involving concurrent infestations with paralysis ticks) and deaths following off-label use in domesticated rabbits.

As a result of these reports the APVMA will consider whether fipronil and products containing fipronil in the context of both agricultural and veterinary uses:

• may be an undue hazard to the safety of people exposed to it during its handling;
• may have an effect that is harmful to human beings;
• may have an unintended effect that is harmful to animals; and whether
• product labels contain adequate instructions with regard to the safe handling of the product or other warning and precautionary instructions.

The APVMA will review the following matters relevant to active constituent approvals, product registrations and label approvals for fipronil:

• toxicity of fipronil primarily in relation to dermal irritation and the induction of skin sensitisation;
• toxicity of photodegradation products of fipronil particularly in relation to neurotoxicity and dermal toxicity;
• toxicological effects associated with products containing fipronil including the potential to form toxic photodegradation products;
• occupational health and safety issues including the risk to workers mixing, loading and applying products containing fipronil or users using products containing fipronil; risk to workers on re-entry to treated areas or humans handling animals after they have been treated;
• animal safety; and
• adequacy of label instructions including suitability of personal protective equipment, specified re-entry intervals and other warnings or precautionary instructions.

In Australia there have been 56 suspect adverse experience reports for dogs classified as being either probably or possibly associated with fipronil.

In 21 of those reports (38%) there was concurrent infestation with the dog paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus. Of these reports, 9 involved death of the dog. Products containing fipronil are registered for control of paralysis tick under specific precautionary instructions including daily checking of animals at risk of infestation, since ticks that have become attached prior to treatment are not killed by treatment.

Also, ticks that may have attached immediately after treatment may not be killed by fipronil treatment.

In 2 cases neurological excitation without death was reported. In the remaining cases a range of adverse effects including skin reactions have been reported.