Yearlong Mosquito Control: New Insecticide Protects Against Diseases
- What: A new class of insecticide called a "spatial emanator" provides up to a year of protection against mosquitoes.
- Where: Particularly effective in regions like Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia where malaria is prevalent.
- when: Research published August 26, 2024, with WHO recommendation in August 2024.
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New Insecticide Offers Year-Long Mosquito Protection
A relatively new class of insecticide that can be disseminated on something the size of a sheet of paper offers protection for up to a year against mosquitoes that spread malaria, and also dengue, West Nile, yellow fever, and Zika, UC San Francisco researchers have found.
In a systematic review of more than 25 years of data on some 1.7 million mosquitoes, researchers concluded that this form of repellent – called a ”spatial emanator” because it distributes chemicals through the air – can prevent more than 1 out of every 2 mosquito bites.
The analysis comes just as the World Health Association (WHO) issued a new recommendation in August supporting the use of spatial emanators, the first new vector control product class available in more than 40 years.
Spatial emanators can be used day and night and do not require heating or electricity, making them easy to use in remote areas in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia, where malaria is prevalent.
We finally have a new way to protect against mosquito bites, especially one that fills in some of the gaps of our existing methods.It’s lightweight, affordable, and easy to use, so it can be used to help save lives in all parts of the world.
Ingrid Chen, PhD, MS, associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at UCSF
The study was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). it appears Aug. 26 in eBioMedicine, which is published by The Lancet. The NIH is not accepting applications for future research on this topic, which relies on foreign subawards to study the products in countries where people still die from mosquito-borne diseases.
Malaria‘s Devastating Impact
Malaria killed 597,000 people in 2023, the vast majority of whom were children under 5 years old in sub-Saharan africa. Malaria has not been endemic to the U.S. since the 1950s, although locally transmitted cases occasionally occur in places like Florida and Texas.
WHO aims to reduce malaria mortality rates by at least 90% from where they were in 2015 and eliminate malaria in at least 35 countries by 2030. But progress toward these goals has been hampered by factors such as insecticide resistance and disruptions to healthcare services.
Current Mosquito Control Methods and Their Limitations
existing mosquito control strategies include insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying (IRS), and larval source management.However, these methods have limitations:
- ITNs: Effectiveness can be reduced by net damage, improper use, and insecticide resistance.
- IRS: Requires regular re-request and can be costly and logistically challenging