Dutch insect repellent innovator Mosquitno targets Hong Kong as dengue fever cases rise
Dutch company says its innovative insect repellent using nanotechnology can keep clothes and homes mosquito-free for up to three months.
A Dutch company says it has invented an insect repellent using nanotechnology which can keep clothes and homes mosquito-free for up to three months.
Mosquitno has been invited by a government body to begin trading in Hong Kong as the number of cases reported in the city of the deadly mosquito-borne dengue fever rises.
The new repellent does not include the active ingredient used in many insect repellents, DEET, which has question marks surrounding its safety.
Figures from the Department of Health show the number of dengue fever cases reported rose 8 per cent last year, to 112. There were 34 cases in the first five months of this year, 36 per cent more than in the same period last year. Mosquitoes are most active in the summer months.
Erwin Wijnen, director of the company's brand development and global travel retailing, said the new repellent combined nanotechnology with a safer active ingredient - IR3535 - to create a spray that once applied remains effective for up to three months.
The repellent is also available as a fabric softener and a bracelet.
"I think it makes sense to put the repellent in the washing machine to make your clothes insect-repellent. So when you bring your children to school, their uniforms will be insect-repellent and odourless," he said.