Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets
Insecticide treated mosquito nets play a very important role in the prevention of malaria. In fact, trials in Africa show treated mosquito nets reduce the number of deaths among children aged less than five years by about 20 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Fully treated mosquito net made from fine honeycomb netting with approximately 220 holes per square inch. Supplied with hanging kit and bag. May be suspended in a ridge, wedge or box shape, net tucks under mattress. Lightweight and compact.
Treated Mosquito Nets
A mosquito net is a physical barrier between the person sleeping under the net and mosquitoes on the outside. However, it is still possible for mosquitoes to bite through mosquito netting. Also, if your mosquito net has just one small hole in it (which you may be unaware of) mosquitoes can sneak inside and bite you and your net becomes virtually useless.
Treating your mosquito net with an insecticide will kill mosquitoes and other disease-spreading insects when they make contact with the net. An insecticide treated mosquito net also acts as an insect repellent, reducing the number of mosquitoes in the surrounding area. This helps control the population of malaria-spreading mosquitoes and protects other people nearby.
According to the World Health Organization, treated mosquito nets can prevent approximately 50 percent of malaria cases and are significantly more effective than untreated nets. Untreated nets are about half as effective as insecticide treated mosquito nets.
Impregnated Mosquito Nets
Only pyrethroid insecticides such as permethrin are approved for impregnating mosquito nets, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pyrethroids are highly toxic to mosquitoes, killing the insects on contact with the netting material. Pyrethroids have low toxicity to humans and other mammals.
Conventionally treated mosquito nets require retreating with insecticide at 6 to 12 month intervals, or every three washes, as regular washing breaks down pyrethroids. Retreating involves dipping the mosquito net in a solution of water and insecticide, then allowing the net to dry.
More modern, long-lasting impregnated mosquito nets have insecticide bound to their netting material during the manufacturing process, prolonging their effectiveness for about three years, or approximately 20 washes, according to the President’s Malaria Initiative. Thus, regular insecticide treatments are unnecessary for long-lasting treated mosquito nets.
If you are travelling to an area where there is a high risk of malaria, invest in an impregnated mosquito net and use it to protect yourself from potentially deadly mosquito bites. An insecticide treated mosquito net will also help protect you from other diseases such as Japanese encephalitis and kill bedbugs and head lice.
Alternatively, treat your mosquito net yourself with permethrin insecticide before you travel.
Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Insecticide-Treated Bed Nets
President’s Malaria Initiative: Insecticide-Treated Mosquito Nets (ITNs)
World Health Organization: Insecticide-Treated Mosquito Nets: A Position Statement
