Personal protection from blood-sucking arthropods. An introduction to the symposium

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Abstract
The best method of protecting people from attack by blood-sucking insects is to destroy the insects. When this is impossible or impractical, a high degree of protection can be obtained by the proper use of insect repellents. For protection against some species, the repellents must be applied to the skin, for others, to the clothing, and the best repellents for one type of application are not always suitable for the others. None of our present repellents are entirely satisfactory, as some feel oily on the skin, others affect paints, varnishes, and plastics, all cause a stinging sensation on the eyelids and lips, and none are effective for more than a few hours. Repellents are effective only when present on the skin or clothing in relatively large quantities. The amount varies with the individual, the chemical, and the insect species; it ranges from about 0.05 mg/sq cm for DEET [diethyltoluamide] to more than 1.0 mg/sq cm with dimethyl phthalate on arms exposed to avid Aedes aegypti. The length of time a repellent treatment remains effective depends on the rate at which it is lost by rubbing, evaporation, or absorption, until the amount remaining has reached the minimum effective level. We have no evidence that repellents deteriorate on the skin or become less effective because of dilution with sweat or absorption of skin secretions that are attractive to insects.

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