Mosquito Repellents -- What Works?

Mosquito Repellents -- What Works?

By Kathryn Whitbourne
WebMD Feature

They're small, and they don't look terribly threatening, but don't be fooled. They pass along many diseases, often fatal ones.

"Mosquitoes are the most dangerous animals on Earth," says Joseph Conlon, medical entomologist and technical advisor to the American Mosquito Control Association. "They kill over 750,000 people every year."

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Most of these deaths are caused by malaria. But a host of other diseases is transmitted by mosquitoes, including Zika virus, yellow fever, West Nile virus, dengue, and chikungunya virus. In the U.S., we're mainly concerned about Zika and West Nile. Both are rarely fatal but can cause fever, joint pain, and constant fatigue. Dengue and Chikungunya have similar symptoms.

Different breeds of mosquitoes pass along different diseases. The Anopheles mosquito transmits malaria and the Culex transmits West Nile. All the other disease, including Zika, are transmitted by the Aedes mosquito.

With prevention so important, there's no shortage of sprays, lotions, candles, oils, and electronic devices that say they repel mosquitoes.

So how do they keep them away? "By and large, they mask the odor of the host [the person who would be bitten] so the mosquito doesn't recognize it as a potential host. Their sensors aren't registering anything," explains Conlon.

The CDC and the American Mosquito Control Association has recommendations for products that work on all mosquitoes:

• DEET: "This is the gold standard," says Conlon. A 2015 study looked at several commercial repellants and found that the ones containing DEET were the most effective. You'll find it in many repellants on the market. Look for one that's 25% to 35% DEET. And if you're going outside, use an aerosol because you'll get immediate protection. A lotion takes 10 to 15 minutes to work.
  
• Picaridin: "Picaridin is a synthetic derivative of pepper plants, and it's very effective, nearly as effective as DEET," says Conlon. "It doesn't have some of DEET's cosmetic issues -- it's got a very light feel to it, a very light smell, and it's not greasy." In fact, Aileen Marty, MD, a professor of infectious disease at Florida International University in Miami, prefers it to DEET for those reasons. Look for repellent that's 20% Picaridin.
  
• Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus: "It's not as effective as DEET or Picaridin, but it will provide you good protection," says Conlon. A study found that this worked better than a product containing 7% DEET, though it lost out to ones with higher concentrations. But this could be an option for people who want something natural. Look for one that's 40% oil of lemon eucalyptus.

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