Could there be a new, more effective repellent to ward off the insect responsible for millions of deaths worldwide. According to the latest estimates released by The World Health Organization (WHO) in December 2013, an estimated 627,000 died as a result of malaria in 2012.
Researchers at the University of California Riverside have a found a substance called Ethyl pyruvate that shuts down the mosquitoes receptors, which are responsible for detecting carbon dioxide from human breath as well as skin odours.
Ethyl pyruvate is already approved as a flavour agent and is present in some wines. It is already being touted as a suitable alternative to N, N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET), the leading repellent currently in use, except in malaria prone areas like in Africa and Asia due to its cost and need for consistent application on all exposed parts of the body.
Ultimately, a repellent based on Ethyl pyruvate may prove to be cheaper than DEET. The University of California researchers feel that with time they will soon discover a way to manufacture cheaper and more effective repellents to aid the ongoing fight against mosquitoes and malaria.
Contributed by Ladipo Eso
St. Nicholas Hospital Lagos 