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Research

Spatial Repellent Product

The spatial repellent product being evaluated has been designed by SC Johnson and is a formulation of a currently USA EPA registered volatile chemical, transfluthrin. There are thousands of currently available products that use transfluthrin. There are sophisticated, expensive products that are used in the Europe; there are inexpensive and simpler products (e.g. mosquito coils) that are widely used throughout Africa and Asia.

Study Design

This study employed protocols that have been designed by subject matter experts in mosquito control product evaluations and clinical trials. The trails were conducted in clusters of homes in two locations—Iquitos, Peru and Sumba Island, Indonesia. Routine collections of both human blood samples and mosquitoes occurred from participants in each cluster for up to two years at which point data was analyzed to determine if participants in clusters that had the spatial repellent in their home had less infections than those participants in clusters that had a placebo (product without transfluthrin). Data was transferred to a central database, developed and managed by Center for Research Computing at the University of Notre Dame, to facilitate information extraction, analyses and archiving.

Overall Goal

Although not a specific objective of this project, an overall goal is to allow for the assessment of public health value of a spatial repellent paradigm by the World Health Organization (WHO) Vector Control Advisory Group and endorsement of an official recommendation from the WHO for the use of spatial repellents in disease control programs around the world.

Formal recognition of a spatial repellent paradigm for disease prevention will:

  1. Facilitate the discovery and development of such products by industry manufacturers,
  2. Drive the expansion of new mosquito control approaches,
  3. Allow for the recommendation of existing spatial repellent products to provide immediate health benefits and thereby,
  4. Increase quality, overall use and a consequent reduction in disease.