'Wearable' mosquito repellents may not work: Research

Feb 27, 2017 06:00 am

Pay attention to the ingredients of sprays and other bug repellents, because they're not equally effective at warding off mosquitoes that carry diseases such as Zika, researchers say.

Products with DEET or oil of lemon eucalyptus, which contains an ingredient known as PMD, are more effective at repelling the Aedes aegypti mosquito that carries Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever and dengue.

While spray-on repellents have generally proved to be effective, wearable devices advertised as mosquito repellents - such as speakers and bracelets - may not work and should largely be avoided, according to new data.

With the recent outbreak of the Zika virus, many such devices became best-selling products, said Immo Hansen, a senior member of the US research team. - REUTERS