Personal Protection Measures Against Mosquitoes, Ticks, and Other Arthropods

Jonathan D Alpern; Stephen J Dunlop; Benjamin J Dolan; William M Stauffer; David R Boulware

doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2015.08.019

Personal Protection Measures Against Mosquitoes, Ticks, and Other Arthropods

Med Clin North Am. 2016 Mar;100(2):303-16. doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2015.08.019.

Authors

Jonathan D Alpern¹, Stephen J Dunlop², Benjamin J Dolan³, William M Stauffer⁴, David R Boulware⁵

Affiliations

¹ Division of Infectious Disease & International Medicine, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware Street SE, MMC 250 Mayo, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. Electronic address: alper054@umn.edu.
² Department of Emergency Medicine, Hennepin County Medical Center, University of Minnesota, 701 Park Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55415, USA.
³ Department of Emergency Medicine, Hennepin County Medical Center, 701 Park Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55415, USA.
⁴ Division of Infectious Diseases & International Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware Street Southeast, 133 Variety Club Research Center, MMC 284, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
⁵ Infectious Disease & International Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, MTRF 3-222, 2001 6th Street Southeast, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.

PMID: 26900115
DOI: 10.1016/j.mcna.2015.08.019

Abstract

Arthropod-associated diseases are a major cause of morbidity among travelers. Obtaining a detailed travel itinerary and understanding traveler-specific and destination-specific risk factors can help mitigate the risk of vector-borne diseases. DEET, picaridin, PMD, and IR3535 are insect repellents that offer sufficient protection against arthropod bites. IR3535 does not provide adequate protection against Anopheles mosquitoes, and should be avoided in malaria-endemic regions. General protective measures, such as bite avoidance, protective clothing, insecticide-treated bed nets, and insecticide-treated clothing, should be recommended, especially in malaria-endemic areas. Spatial repellents may prevent nuisance biting, but have not been shown to prevent against vector-borne disease.

Keywords: Arthropod bites; DEET; Mosquitoes; Personal protection measures; Repellants; Ticks; Travelers.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Arbovirus Infections / prevention & control*
Arthropods
Humans
Insect Bites and Stings / prevention & control*
Insect Control / methods
Insect Repellents / therapeutic use*
Mosquito Nets*
Protective Clothing*

Substances

Insect Repellents