Olfactory learning in blood-feeding insects, such as mosquitoes, could play an important role in host preference and disease transmission. However, standardised protocols allowing testing of their learning abilities are currently lacking, and how different olfactory stimuli are learned by these insects remains unknown. Using a Pavlovian conditioning paradigm, we trained individuals and groups o...

We investigated personal protective behaviors against West Nile virus infection. Barriers to adopting these behaviors were identified, including the perception that DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide and related compounds) is a health and environmental hazard. Televised public health messages and knowing that family or friends practiced protective behaviors were important cues to action.

The removal of four pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), namely diethyltoluamide (DEET), paracetamol (PAR), caffeine (CAF) triclosan (TCS) (at a spiked concentration 25 μg/L), from natural water using the photo (UVC)-Fenton (powdered zero-valent iron, pZVI) process was investigated. results show that molar ratio H2O2/pZVI 2.0, pZVI 22.4 mg/L pH 3.0 maximised target compounds at 7...

The essential oil from aerial parts of Ruta chalepensis L. (Sapindales: Rutaceae) was obtained by hydrodistillation, and its chemical profile was identified using gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Compounds, 2-undecanone (43.2%), 2-nonanone (27.9%), and 2-nonyl acetate (10.6%) were the major constituents of the oil. Biting deterrent activity of R. chalepensis essentia...

The mosquitoes are a serious threat to public health, since they are known vector of many life-threatening diseases like malaria, filariasis, Japanese encephalitis, chikungunya and dengue fever, which are transmitted by the species of three mosquito genera: Anopheles, Culex and Aedes. Repellency is an important way of preventing vector-borne diseases by reducing man-vector contact. Most commerc...

A series of behavioral tests with Aedes aegypti (L.), Anopheles stephensi Liston, mosquitoes, and the sand ßy Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli in the presence of Deet, SS220, and Picaridin topically applied to the skin of human volunteers showed that the insects were deterred from feeding on and repelled from surfaces emanating the compounds. When offered a 12or 24-cm area of skin, one-half treated...

Infectious diseases such as malaria, leishmaniasis and a plethora of bacterial diseases have been and continue to be among the major problems for United States Military personnel deployed in disease endemic regions of the world. We currently employ computer-aided rational drug design and discovery methods to discover new and better drugs. Here, we compute the mathematical equation correlating t...

Scaling up of insecticide treated nets has contributed to a substantial malaria decline. However, some malaria vectors, and most arbovirus vectors, bite outdoors and in the early evening. Therefore, topically applied insect repellents may provide crucial additional protection against mosquito-borne pathogens. Among topical repellents, DEET is the most commonly used, followed by others such as p...