New Delhi, Aug 27 (IANS) – Spatial repellents, also known as “spatial emanators,” can significantly reduce mosquito bites and provide strong protection against malaria, according to a new study.
Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) described spatial repellents as a relatively new class of insecticide that can be deployed on a device as small as a sheet of paper. These emanators can protect for up to a year against mosquitoes that transmit malaria, dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and West Nile virus.
Published in eBioMedicine, the systematic review analysed more than 25 years of data involving about 1.7 million mosquitoes. The findings showed that spatial emanators distribute insecticidal chemicals through the air and can prevent over half of mosquito bites.
The results come shortly after the World Health Organization (WHO) officially recommended the use of spatial emanators — marking the first new class of vector-control products in more than four decades.
Unlike many existing measures, these repellents can be used both day and night and require no heating or electricity, making them highly practical for remote regions in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia, where malaria is widespread.
“We finally have a new way to protect against mosquito bites, especially one that fills in the gaps left by current tools,” said Ingrid Chen, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UCSF. “It’s lightweight, affordable, and easy to use, which means it can save lives worldwide.”
In 2023, malaria claimed 597,000 lives globally, most of them children under five in sub-Saharan Africa. While malaria has been eliminated in the US since the 1950s, occasional local cases still surface in states such as Florida and Texas.
Current prevention methods have limitations: insecticide-treated nets only work indoors at night, topical repellents are costly and require frequent reapplication, and insecticide coils last only a few hours while producing smoke.
By contrast, spatial emanators release chemicals similar to those in treated bed nets — considered safe — but in a more volatile form. The study also noted that these repellents provide protection against multiple mosquito species that spread disease, though their effectiveness varies depending on the vector.
