Last week (3rd June), scientists from repellent testing facility arctec at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine launched
Bug Off - the first ever
'Insect Repellent Awareness Day' to highlight the issue. They recommend applying repellents containing 20-50% DEET to the skin when in countries with diseases spread by insects, such as malaria and dengue fever. People have expressed concerns about the safety of DEET which led to a number of investigations. However, the scientists behind Bug Off have carried out a review of published studies and conclude that there is
insufficient evidence to show that DEET is unsafe. The review is published in the open access journal Parasites and Vectors - see
here. For the full press release see
here.
The website for the bug-off initiative is found at
http://www.bug-off.org/ This website has detail about the science, FAQs on repellents, a podcast and includes some great educational materials for children and resource packs for teachers. Click on the image below to download a useful poster you could put up in a GP surgery or travel clinic waiting room.
