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Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a family of small flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word mosquito is Spanish and Portuguese for little fly. Mosquitoes have a slender segmented body, one pair of wings, three pairs of long hair-like legs, and specialized, highly elongated, piercing-sucking mouthparts. All mosquitoes drink nectar from flowers; females of some species have in addition adapted to drink blood. The group diversified during the Cretaceous period. Evolutionary biologists view mosquitoes as micropredators, small animals that parasitise larger ones by drinking their blood without immediately killing them. Medical parasitologists view mosquitoes instead as vectors of disease, carrying protozoan parasites or bacterial or viral pathogens from one host to another.
N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, also called diethyltoluamide or DEET, is the oldest, one of the most effective and most common active ingredient in commercial insect repellents. It is a slightly yellow oil intended to be applied to the skin or to clothing and provides protection against mosquitoes, flies, ticks, fleas, chiggers, leeches, and many other biting insects.
Citronella oil is an essential oil obtained from the leaves and stems of different species of Cymbopogon (lemongrass). The oil is used extensively as a source of perfumery chemicals such as citronellal, citronellol, and geraniol. These chemicals find extensive use in soap, candles and incense, perfumery, cosmetic, and flavouring industries throughout the world.
An insect repellent is a substance applied to the skin, clothing, or other surfaces to discourage insects from landing or climbing on that surface. Insect repellents help prevent and control the outbreak of insect-borne diseases such as malaria, Lyme disease, dengue fever, bubonic plague, river blindness, and West Nile fever. Pest animals commonly serving as vectors for disease include insects such as flea, fly, and mosquito; and ticks (arachnids).
Heneicosane is the organic compound with the formula CH3(CH2)19CH3. It is the straight chain, saturated C21 hydrocarbon. It is a white wax.
Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito, is a mosquito that can spread dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika fever, Mayaro and yellow fever viruses, and other disease agents. The mosquito can be recognized by black and white markings on its legs and a marking in the form of a lyre on the upper surface of its thorax. This mosquito originated in Africa, but is now found in tropical, subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world.
Mosquito control manages the population of mosquitoes to reduce their damage to human health, economies, and enjoyment. Mosquito control is a vital public-health practice throughout the world and especially in the tropics because mosquitoes spread many diseases, such as malaria and the Zika virus.
Icaridin, also known as picaridin, is an insect repellent which can be used directly on skin or clothing. It has broad efficacy against various arthropods such as mosquitos, ticks, gnats, flies and fleas, and is almost colorless and odorless. A study performed in 2010 showed that picaridin spray and cream at the 20% concentration provided 12 hours of protection against ticks. Unlike DEET, icaridin does not dissolve plastics, synthetics or sealants, is odorless and non-greasy and presents a lower risk of toxicity when used with sunscreen, as it may reduce skin absorption of both compounds.
Nootkatone is an organic compound, a sesquiterpenoid, which means that it is a C15 derivative that also contains an oxygen-containing functional group. It is the most valuable aroma compound of grapefruit. Nootkatone was originally isolated from the wood of the Alaskan yellow cedar, Cupressus nootkatensis. The species name, nootkatensis, is derived from the language of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth people of Canada.
1-Octen-3-ol, octenol for short and also known as mushroom alcohol, is a chemical that attracts biting insects such as mosquitoes. It is contained in human breath and sweat, and it is believed that insect repellent DEET works by blocking the insects' octenol odorant receptors.
Nepeta cataria, commonly known as catnip, catswort, catwort, and catmint, is a species of the genus Nepeta in the family Lamiaceae, native to southern and eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, parts of Mongolia, and parts of China. It is widely naturalized in northern Europe, New Zealand, and North America. The common name catmint can also refer to the genus as a whole.
Mosquito-borne diseases or mosquito-borne illnesses are diseases caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites transmitted by mosquitoes. Nearly 700 million people contract mosquito-borne illnesses each year, resulting in more than a million deaths.
Leslie Birgit Vosshall is an American neurobiologist and currently a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator and the Robin Chemers Neustein Professor of Neurogenetics and Behavior at The Rockefeller University. In 2022 she was appointed Chief Scientific Officer and vice president of HHMI. She is also the director of the Kavli Neural Systems Institute at The Rockefeller University. Vosshall, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, is known for her contributions to the field of olfaction, particularly for the discovery and subsequent characterization of the insect olfactory receptor family, and the genetic basis of chemosensory behavior in mosquitoes. She has also extended her research into the study of human olfaction, revealing parts of human genetic olfactory architecture, and finding variations in odorant receptors that determine individuals’ abilities to detect odors.
VUAA1 is a chemical compound that works by over activating an insect's olfactory senses causing a repellent effect. It is considered to be an Orco allosteric agonist. It was discovered at Vanderbilt University with research being partially funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
SS220 is an insect repellent with a broad range of efficacy.
Callicarpenal is a terpenoid that has been isolated from plants of the genus Callicarpa (beautyberry). It acts as an insect repellent against mosquitoes and fire ants. It also has activity against ticks.
Insect olfaction refers to the function of chemical receptors that enable insects to detect and identify volatile compounds for foraging, predator avoidance, finding mating partners and locating oviposition habitats. Thus, it is the most important sensation for insects. Most important insect behaviors must be timed perfectly which is dependent on what they smell and when they smell it. For example, olfaction is essential for locating host plants and hunting prey in many species of insects, such as the moth Deilephila elpenor and the wasp Polybia sericea, respectively.
Walter Soares Leal is a Brazilian biochemist and entomologist who is known for identifying pheromones and mosquito attractants, and elucidating a mechanism of action of the insect repellent DEET.
Aedes taeniorhynchus, or the black salt marsh mosquito, is a mosquito in the family Culicidae. It is a carrier for encephalitic viruses including Venezuelan equine encephalitis and can transmit Dirofilaria immitis. It resides in the Americas and is known to bite mammals, reptiles, and birds. Like other mosquitoes, Ae. taeniorhynchus adults survive on a combination diet of blood and sugar, with females generally requiring a blood meal before laying eggs.
Matthew DeGennaro is an American scientist who seeks to identify mosquito olfactory receptors used in human detection and formulate new volatiles that can effectively disrupt mosquito behavior. DeGennaro is credited with generating the first mutant mosquito utilizing zinc finger nucleases, and he is now working on formulating a “life saving perfume” that can deter these vectors for disease. He has been published in Nature, Developmental Cell, Current Biology, PLOS Genetics, and the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
References
- ↑ "Food Additive Status List". US Food and Drug Administration . 2020-10-05. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
- 1 2 3 "Scientists find key to more effective DEET alternatives". Gizmag.com. 4 October 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
- ↑ Kain, P.; Boyle, S. M.; Tharadra, S. K.; Guda, T.; Pham, C.; Dahanukar, A.; Ray, A. (2013). "Odour receptors and neurons for DEET and new insect repellents". Nature. 502 (7472): 507–512. Bibcode:2013Natur.502..507K. doi:10.1038/nature12594. PMC 3927149 . PMID 24089210. (Retracted, see doi:10.1038/nature18613, PMID 27350243, Retraction Watch )
- ↑ Ali Afify; Bérénice Horlacher; Johannes Roller; C. Giovanni Galizia (2014-07-31). "Different Repellents for Aedes aegypti against Blood-Feeding and Oviposition". PLOS ONE. 9 (7): e103765. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...9j3765A. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103765 . PMC 4117642 . PMID 25079819.
- ↑ Afify, A.; Horlacher, B. R. N.; Roller, J.; Galizia, C. G. (2014). "Different Repellents for Aedes aegypti against Blood-Feeding and Oviposition". PLOS ONE. 9 (7): e103765. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...9j3765A. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103765 . PMC 4117642 . PMID 25079819.