High Tech Hope for Repelling Mosquitoes
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/high-tech-hope-for-repelling-mosquitoes/#
In Alaska, where I grew up, mosquitoes outnumber people some 24 million to one. That makes it a great place to test the very latest in mosquito shields.\
On a recent trip home, I tried the newest products on the market: kid-safe bands treated with plant oils, fans with the repellent built in, chemically treated clothing and good old bug spray. I also tried a high-tech patch that is not set to be released until next year.
What I found was this: All of the current products offered varying levels of protection, but nothing worked as well as traditional chemical repellent. Nothing, that is, until I tested the patch, which could very well remove humans from the mosquito food chain for good.
The stakes are high. So far, 40 states have recorded cases of West Nile virus. According to the World Health Organization, mosquitoes remain the deadliest animal on the planet, carrying diseases like West Nile,chikungunya and malaria that kill more than a million people a year. Any new technology that effectively and consistently repels mosquitoes will not only make summers more comfortable — it will save lives.
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