[Studies on the efficacy of five repellents against Phlebotomus alexandri]

The efficacy of five repellents were tested against Phlebotomus alexandri both in the laboratory and in the field in Meiyaogou, Turfan City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region during 1986-1987. A total of 3,301 female Ph. alexandri were used in the laboratory and 306 man-times of volunteers were tested in the field. At a dose of 0.25 microliters/cm2, the protective durations of mosquito repellent perfume (MRP), N, N-diethyl-mtaluamide (DETA), mosquito repellent liquid (MRL), dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) were 7.50 h, 5.00 h, 3.75 h, 1.25 h and 1.00 h, respectively. At a dose of 0.75 mg/cm2, the protective durations of the essential balms of DETA, DMP and DBP were 5.50 h, 3.50 h and 3.00 h, respectively. The repelling effect on volunteers in the field was the same as that tested in the laboratory. The relative efficacy of the five repellents was in the order of MRP greater than DETA greater than MRL greater than DMP greater than DBP. The above-mentioned repellents may be of practical use for individual protection against kala-azar transmission in the field.