Novel Technologies for Long Lasting Area Repellency of Insects for Military Applications

Many of the protective measures against vector borne threats that are currently used by the military have significant issues. Personal protective measures often contact skin directly, causing adverse effects, such as rashes and irritations that are uncomfortable and can distract and/or debilitate a soldier from their military mission. Insect repellent impregnated bed nets and clothing although effective, have limited repellency, particularly after being laundered for a few cycles, which makes it very difficult for soldiers to decide when the clothing needs to be retreated with insect repellent. What is being proposed in this project is to design and build a completely new insect protective measure that is not adversely affected by the wind or breezes. The proposed vector repellent technologies will have a focus on group protection of military personnel at base or bivouac camps, translating into a system that is overall more efficient and effective in regard to system transport, deployment, and maintenance, with better assurances in the proper and uniform utilization of the area vector repellent system. It is anticipated that these novel technologies could greatly impact military operations.