June 6, 2012 -
PRLog -- According to the CDC, “more than one-third of the world’s population living in areas at risk for transmission, dengue infection is a leading cause of illness and death in the tropics and subtropics.”
Also, “In 2010, an estimated 216 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide and 655,000 people died most (91%) in the African Region.” In 2011 there were 712 cases of West Nile Virus in the United States resulting in 43 fatalities. All of these diseases are carried by mosquitoes.
For many years, repellents’ containing DEET (N,N-Diethyl-
meta-toluamide)
have been the best, readily available device to protect against mosquitoes and other biting insects, and is still recommended by most experts as an effective repellent. While repellents with DEET have proven very effective, health concerns have arisen over the last several decades including fatalities related to exposure of DEET, many of which were young females. (See http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
consultations/
deet/health-
effects.html for details.)
This leaves the question of what can be done to prevent bites from mosquitoes. A growing trend of outdoorsmen, hunters, fishermen, campers, and vacationers has been to use what is commonly referred to as a mosquito patch.
One very successful brand is AgraCo Technologies non-toxic Mosquito Patch. AgraCo’s Mosquito Patch is a small clear trans-dermal patch that contains 300 milligrams of vitamin B1. This is more than three times as much Vitamin B1 as the closest competitor.
Research has shown that mosquitoes, gnats and flies do not like the smell of Vitamin B1 excreted through the sweat glands. The AgraCo’s Mosquito Patch works like any trans-dermal patch. You can place it on virtually any non-hairy area of the body. The patch works within two hours of placement and can last up to 36 hours. The wearer can wash or swim with the patch without mitigating the effects. The patch can be removed after 24 hours, but the effect will still last for another 12 hours.
The active ingredient of AgraCo’s Mosquito Patch is vitamin B1. Vitamin B1 or Thiamine was discovered principally through the discovery of its deficiency syndrome, beriberi, which is characterized by a polyneuritis paralysis that affects mainly the lower limbs. Beriberi was found in the Far East but became prevalent during the 19th Century, when the introduction of steam powered rice mills began to permit highly efficient polishing and thus removed this vital nutrient. Beriberi can also present as a 'wet' form of the disease, characterized by heart failure and by widespread edema, especially in the lower limbs. Thiamine functions as part of an enzyme, thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP), which is required for energy production, carbohydrate, fat, and alcohol metabolism, and nerve cell function. The human body uses the portion of B1 it needs, and expels the rest.
AgraCo’
non-toxic Mosquito Patch is a safe alternative to DEET for protection from mosquitoes, flies, and gnats. They meet and exceed TSA regulations and restrictions for domestic and international flights, and are safe enough to be used on children.
AgraCo Technologies International, LLC in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, brings innovative, yet simplistically elegant products to market for the agricultural and consumer market. The company’s Managing Director, Ken Potter, has developed such products as the Non-toxic Mosquito Patch, Extend-A-Life™
, Produce Saver™, Floral Saver™, NitroMax™, NiCal™, and J&J Soil Conditioner.
