TY - JOUR
T1 - Insect repellents
T2 - An updated review for the clinician
AU - Nguyen, Quoc Bao D.
AU - Vu, Mai Anh N.
AU - Hebert, Adelaide A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc.
PY - 2023/1
Y1 - 2023/1
N2 - Malaria, Zika virus, West Nile virus, Dengue fever, and Lyme disease are common causes of morbidity and mortality around the world. While arthropod bites may cause local inflammation and discomfort, a greater concern is the potential to develop deadly systemic infection. The use of insect repellents (IRs) to prevent systemic infections constitutes a fundamental public health effort. Cost effectiveness, availability, and high efficacy against arthropod vectors are key characteristics of an ideal IR. Currently, numerous IRs are available on the market, with N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) being the most widely used. DEET has an excellent safety profile and remarkable protection against mosquitoes and various other arthropods. Other Environmental Protection Agency–registered IR ingredients (eg, permethrin, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, oil of citronella, catnip oil, and 2-undecanone) are alternative IRs of great interest because some of these ingredients have efficacies comparable to that of DEET. These alternative IRs possess low toxicity and favorable customer experiences in use (eg, cosmetically pleasant, naturally occurring). This review summarizes the currently available Environmental Protection Agency–registered IRs, including their origins, mechanisms of action, side effect profiles, and available formulations. This review will enable the clinician to select the best IR option to meet a patient's needs and provide the greatest protection from arthropod bites and their sequelae.
AB - Malaria, Zika virus, West Nile virus, Dengue fever, and Lyme disease are common causes of morbidity and mortality around the world. While arthropod bites may cause local inflammation and discomfort, a greater concern is the potential to develop deadly systemic infection. The use of insect repellents (IRs) to prevent systemic infections constitutes a fundamental public health effort. Cost effectiveness, availability, and high efficacy against arthropod vectors are key characteristics of an ideal IR. Currently, numerous IRs are available on the market, with N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) being the most widely used. DEET has an excellent safety profile and remarkable protection against mosquitoes and various other arthropods. Other Environmental Protection Agency–registered IR ingredients (eg, permethrin, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, oil of citronella, catnip oil, and 2-undecanone) are alternative IRs of great interest because some of these ingredients have efficacies comparable to that of DEET. These alternative IRs possess low toxicity and favorable customer experiences in use (eg, cosmetically pleasant, naturally occurring). This review summarizes the currently available Environmental Protection Agency–registered IRs, including their origins, mechanisms of action, side effect profiles, and available formulations. This review will enable the clinician to select the best IR option to meet a patient's needs and provide the greatest protection from arthropod bites and their sequelae.
KW - DEET
KW - arthropod
KW - infectious disease
KW - insecticides
KW - insects
KW - mosquito
KW - picaridin
KW - repellents
KW - tick
KW - vectors
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85144589743
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85144589743#tab=citedBy
U2 - 10.1016/j.jaad.2018.10.053
DO - 10.1016/j.jaad.2018.10.053
M3 - Review article
C2 - 30395919
AN - SCOPUS:85144589743
SN - 0190-9622
VL - 88
SP - 123
EP - 130
JO - Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
JF - Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
IS - 1
ER -