Homegrown Catnip Lotion Proves to Be An Effective Mosquito Repellent in Rural Uganda
Researchers have found that catnip-based lotion is as effective as DEET in repelling mosquitoes in rural Uganda. This low-cost, locally producible solution aims to reduce reliance on malaria medication as parasites develop drug resistance.
Why it matters
This discovery offers a sustainable and affordable public health intervention for malaria prevention in resource-limited settings.
Homegrown catnip plants have proven to be as effective as DEET for repelling mosquitoes in rural Uganda.
Presented at an international science conference in Florence, Italy, a collaborative team of Welsh and Ugandan researchers believe they’ve found a lower cost solution to mosquito control that can reduce reliance on malaria medication, which the parasite is beginning to develop resistance to.
Nepetalactone is a chemical found in the essential oil of catnip, Nepeta cataria. It’s known for causing euphoric feelings in cats, but also seems to interfere with the olfactory sense of various mosquito species.
In laboratory tests, a 6% nepetalactone skin lotion proved as good as DEET for repelling mosquitoes from landing on a human arm. 2% nepetalactone proved only slightly less effective.
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