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A comparatively new class of insecticide that may be disseminated on one thing the dimensions of a sheet of paper presents safety for as much as a yr towards mosquitoes that unfold malaria, in addition to dengue, West Nile, yellow fever, and Zika, UC San Francisco researchers have discovered.
In a scientific assessment of greater than 25 years of information on some 1.7 million mosquitoes, researchers concluded that this type of repellent—known as a “spatial emanator” as a result of it distributes chemical compounds by way of the air—can forestall a couple of out of each two mosquito bites.
The evaluation comes simply because the World Well being Group (WHO) issued a brand new suggestion in August 2025 supporting the usage of spatial emanators, the primary new vector management product class obtainable in additional than 40 years.
Spatial emanators can be utilized day and night time, and don’t require heating or electrical energy, making them simple to make use of in distant areas in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia, the place 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,” mentioned Ingrid Chen, Ph.D., MS, an affiliate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at UCSF and the primary creator of the paper. “It’s lightweight, affordable, and easy to use, so it can be used to help save lives in all parts of the world.”
The examine seems in eBioMedicine.
Malaria’s devastating influence
Malaria killed 597,000 folks in 2023, the overwhelming majority of whom had been youngsters below 5 years outdated in sub-Saharan Africa. Malaria has not been endemic to the U.S. for the reason that Fifties, though regionally transmitted instances sometimes happen in locations like Florida and Texas.
WHO goals to cut back malaria mortality charges by a minimum of 90% from the place they had been in 2015 and remove malaria in a minimum of 35 nations by 2030. However progress towards this purpose has slowed in recent times, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, inadequate funding, and insecticide resistance.
Greater than 40 species of mosquitoes transmit malaria, they usually all have completely different biting and resting habits. Some, just like the Anopheles mosquito, which carries the malaria parasite, chunk principally at night time. Others, just like the Aedes mosquito, which carries viruses like dengue and Zika, chunk throughout the day.
This makes it arduous for one methodology to work towards all of them.
Insecticide-treated nets usually solely defend folks indoors and at night time, and there are different limitations. Topical repellents are costly and have to be recurrently reapplied. Insecticide-treated coils create smoke and final just a few hours.
The brand new class of spatial repellent overcomes these protection gaps. It makes use of chemical compounds which can be just like these in handled mattress nets—that are thought-about protected—however in a extra risky kind.
Efficient towards all forms of mosquitoes
The researchers checked out years of analysis, analyzing every mosquito that has been collected and characterised, and put the information collectively into one huge database.
They decided that these spatial repellents present a mean protectiveness of 56%, which means they prevented greater than half the bites that will have occurred with out the machine. The instrument additionally protects towards all forms of mosquitoes that carry illness, though with various ranges of efficacy.
Three merchandise, BiteBarrier, Mosquito Defend, and Guardian, are already being produced. BiteBarrier is the primary to be bought within the U.S., and it really works for as much as 21 days. Mosquito Defend is efficient for about 30 days, whereas Guardian can last as long as one yr.
The August 13 WHO suggestion permits main donors to subsidize this intervention in malaria-endemic nations, particularly utilizing Mosquito Defend and Guardian.
Extra data:
Ingrid Chen et al, Unstable pyrethroid spatial repellents for stopping mosquito bites: a scientific assessment and meta-analysis, eBioMedicine (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2025.105891
WHO tips for malaria, 13 August 2025, (2025). DOI: 10.2471/B09514
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College of California, San Francisco
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‘Spatial emanators’ provide yearlong malaria safety as WHO points new suggestion supporting their use (2025, August 27)
retrieved 27 August 2025
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