MosShield, a ready-to-use spray containing 6% Litsea cubeba essential oil, underwent formulation quality checks and a skin-patch test in 48 healthy volunteers, with no visible reaction through 96 hours. WHO arm-in-cage tests produced median complete protection times of 225 minutes against Culex quinquefasciatus and 120 minutes against both Aedes aegypti and Anopheles dirus. These are laboratory, not field-effectiveness, results.
Key findings
- No visible skin reaction was observed in 48 volunteers through 96 hours. • Median protection was 225 minutes for Culex and 120 minutes for Aedes/Anopheles. • Semi-field and field studies remain necessary.
Why this matters globally
A plant-based repellent could diversify personal protection amid insecticide resistance, but duration and safety need real-world confirmation.
Thai researcher contribution
Mahidol and Mahidol-Oxford researchers test the formulation against three major vector species using a WHO protocol.
Limitations to consider
Only short-term patch tolerability and cage efficacy were tested; repeated use, vulnerable groups, weather and active-comparator performance were not reported.