Wearable Mosquito Repellent 'Clip-on' Offers Protection Against Zika, Dengue

Clip-On caused high mosquito mortality and knockdown rates good enough to protect a single person wearing the device.

A product called the OFF! Clip-On repellent device could be an effective tool for preventing bites from mosquitoes that cause Zika, chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever.

The OFF! Clip-On repels mosquitoes by releasing a vapor form of insecticide through a battery-powered fan, forming an insecticide "cloud" around the wearer of the device. In order to test the effectiveness of the device, Christopher Bibbs and Rui-De Xue of the Anastasia Mosquito Control District in Florida studied how the device performed against hungry Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The study was done outdoors in order to replicate real-world conditions.

About Mosquito Diseases
Mosquito-borne diseases, like malaria, filaria, dengue, etc are common in places conducive of mosquito breeding. Swamps, ponds and stagnated drainage provide optimal breeding ground for mosquitoes.

They found that the OFF! Clip-On caused high mosquito mortality and knockdown rates up to 0.3 meters from the device, enough to protect a single person wearing the device.

"In vector control, we see more often than not that tools available for consumers don't work for the intended purpose," said Bibbs. "Just look at all the bug zappers, repellent bracelets, sonic bug repellents, and other zany creations that wax and wane in popularity. Skepticism is inherent to the trade. But it was nice for a change of pace that one of these devices could actually do some good."

Dengue and Dengue Fever - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
Dengue is a tropical disease caused by mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, joint & muscle ache, fatigue, nausea and skin rash.

Source-Medindia

Vector-Borne Diseases | Insect-Borne Diseases | Bug-Borne Diseases
Vector-borne diseases are infectious diseases or illness transmitted through insects such as mosquitoes, sandflies, ticks, and bugs. Vectors can be either biological carriers or mechanical carriers.

Zika Fever - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention
Zika virus is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes which causes mild fever with maculopapular rash. No treatment or vaccine is currently available.