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Repellent effects on Anopheles arabiensis biting humans in Kruger Park, South Africa
Author(s) -
Govere J.,
Braack L. E. O.,
Durrheim D. N.,
Hunt R. H.,
Coetzee M.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
medical and veterinary entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1365-2915
pISSN - 0269-283X
DOI - 10.1046/j.0269-283x.2001.00309.x
Subject(s) - biting , deet , evening , biology , insect repellent , veterinary medicine , malaria , toxicology , ecology , medicine , physics , astronomy , immunology
. Distribution of biting sites on the human body by the malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis Patton (Diptera: Culicidae) was investigated near a source of mosquitoes in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Eight adult male volunteers (2 teams × 2 pairs of subjects) conducted human bait collections while seated on camp chairs in the open‐air, wearing only short trousers (no shirt, socks or shoes). Mosquito collections during 18.30–22.30 hours on five consecutive nights in April 1998 yielded a total of 679 An. arabiensis females biting subjects with or without their ankles and feet treated with deet insect repellent (15% diethyl‐3‐methylbenzamide, Tabard™ lotion). On subjects whose feet and ankles were smeared with repellent, 160 An. arabiensis females were captured biting in 60 man‐hours: 88.1% on the legs, 1.4% on the arms and 1.2% on other parts of the body, but none on the repellent‐treated feet or ankles. On subjects without repellent treatment, 519 An. arabiensis were caught biting in 60 man‐hours: 81.1% on feet and ankles, 16.4% on legs, 1.4% on arms and 1.2% on the rest of the body. For individual subjects, the reduction of An. arabiensis bites ranged from 36.4 to 78.2% (mean protection 69.2%). Results of this study confirm previous findings that, in this part of South Africa − inhabited only by wildlife − when people sit outside during the evening An. arabiensis prefers to bite their lower limbs: 97.5% below the knees. Overall, the number of bites by the malaria vector An. arabiensis was reduced more than three‐fold (from 26 to 8/person/evening), simply by treating ankles and feet with a consumer brand of deet repellent. Whether or not this provides a satisfactory degree of protection against malaria risk would depend on the malaria sporozoite rate in the malaria vector population.