ARS | Publication request: Human Emanations and Related Natural Compounds that Inhibit Mosquito Host-Finding Ability.

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: March 1, 2006
Publication Date: October 1, 2006
Citation: Bernier, U.R., Kline, D.L., Posey, K.H. 2006. Human Emanations and Related Natural Compounds that Inhibit Mosquito Host-Finding Ability. Insect repellents: principles, methods, and use. Chapter: 4.

Technical Abstract: The examination of human, animal and host odors is performed to identify the kairomones that arthropods use for host location, and to identify allomones that may be used to protect the host from being fed upon by a repellent action. The discovery of repellents is one of the important routes to the reduction in disease risk, accomplishing this by reducing the number of potentially infectious bites. Repellents can function as biting deterrents, or can in the vapor phase provide a spatial repellency. The latter class of repellents consists of compounds that can be lethal or knock down insects (such as pyrethroids) or compounds that cloak attractive odors by a mechanism that is not yet well understood. The origin, bioassay, chemical identification and significance, applications, and potential future of these spatial repellents and other naturally-produced inhibitors are covered in this chapter.