Evaluation of a Novel User-Friendly Arthropod Repellent Gel, Verdegen

Hand sanitizers are developed as alcohol-based liquid gel formulations, generally used to decrease the amount of infectious agents on human hands. Verdegen, LLC proposed to prepare an arthropod repellent gel for public use when the recent outbreaks of Zika infection vectored through Aedes mosquitoes in the American continents prompted multi-faceted emergency measures. Four different gel formulations were developed, comprising two of the most efficacious commercial arthropod repellent active ingredients, N,N-diethyl-3-methyl benzamide (deet) and 2-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperidinecarboxylic acid 1-methylpropyl ester (picaridin), each at different concentrations (20 and 33% deet, or 20 and 33% picaridin). Compliance with the use of topical arthropod repellents remains an issue among military personnel. One of the most common complaints by Soldiers is that they do not like how the repellents applied on their skin leave behind an oily or greasy residue. These new gel formulations offer a user-friendly alternative for commonly used arthropod repellents formulations for the military and civilian personnel. We tested the efficacy and protection time of these new gel formulations in comparison with the commercially available cream formulations of deet and picaridin at similar concentrations. Our data show that gel formulations have better topical attributes, and offer equal or better biting protection for up to 48 h against host-seeking Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) female mosquitoes.