Many holidaymakers travelling to sunny destinations may find their holiday is spoilt because of mosquitoes.
However a British manufacturer claims to have found the answer to keeping mosquitoes and other insects that bit at bay.
George Costa, a textile manufacturer has developed the fabric called Arnywear, to help his daughter cope with the pests when on holiday in Cyprus. The fabric is scented with lavender which reacts with the insects antennae.
Costa’s daughter has allergic reactions to conventional insect repellent creams and sprays and used to get bitten all over her body. However this is no longer the case since she started wearing clothes made from Arnywear fabric.
Mosquitoes infect people with malaria when bitten. Malaria kills three million people a year and is also known to also spread other diseases such as yellow fever.
The London School of Hygiene and Tropical medicine has tested the fabric. Although they cannot endorse the any product, Dr Nigel Hill said, "The product was tested by us against anopheles gambiae the major African malaria vector mosquito.
"The fabric totally prevented any bites through material, and it also significantly reduced the numbers biting bare skin close to the fabric.
"The major benefit of the product is that the repellent has been applied in such a way as to bind it to the fabric in a manner that ensures gradual release over a very long period simply by movement caused by wearing it."
However Dr Hill stressed that the fabric should be used "in conjunction with other forms of protection."
The effective ingredient is an extract of eucalyptus citriodora found in a plant from China. But Mr Costa’s company, Proactiv Textiles of Hatfield, Hertfordshire has found a way of bonding it to the fabric so it will continue to work even after being washed a number of times.
The garments are available in three sizes and can be purchased in some branches of Boots costing between £7.99 and £19.99. Teddy bears will also be made out of the fabric which a child can keep in bed with them so keeping the insects away.
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