DEET: don't deploy without it

Citizen Airman, Dec, 2004 by John Fage

Whether hiking in the woods at home or serving in the sands of the Middle East, Airmen need to shield themselves from biting insects with a repellent.

The active ingredient in most skin-applied repellents is N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide, commonly referred to as DEET. It's a must on almost every deployment checklist and for good reason. DEET protects troops on the ground from mosquitoes, deer ticks, biting flies, chiggers, fleas and other insects.

"Insect bites are a painful nuisance and may even be a source of disease," said Maj. Martin Alexis, bioenvironmental engineer in the Directorate of Health Services, Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. "DEET serves as a first line of defense against biting insects and vector-borne diseases."

Vector-borne infectious diseases--those transmitted by a carrier or transporter such as an insect or other organism--continue to emerge and strengthen because of changes in public health policy, according to officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. As these diseases evolve, they become less susceptible to drugs.

While all Airmen should use DEET, they don't. Some people are skeptical about using it, wondering how something that repels insects can be a good thing to put on their hands, arms, face and neck.

"Maybe it's sticky or uncomfortable," Major Alexis said, "and time for baths/showers in the (area of responsibility) can be limited." However, if they don't protect themselves, he said, Airmen risk contracting diseases such as malaria and leishmaniasis.

Approved by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1957 as an active ingredient, DEET was developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1946. According to the EPA, about 38 percent of the American public uses DEET-based products.

DEET blocks emissions of carbon dioxide from the body. Carbon dioxide acts like a homing device, guiding pesky mosquitoes to their dinner.

The World Health Organization, the U.S. Army and the CDC all recommend the use of DEET-based products as an effective and safe way of protecting against biting insects.

The Consumer Specialty Products Association lists some important tips to keep in mind when using DEET:

* Always follow the directions.

* Do not soak clothing or bedding with DEET-based repellents.

* The more DEET in the product, the longer the protection lasts.

* DEET-based repellents should be applied to exposed, unbroken skin.

(Lieutenant Fage is assigned to the HQ AFRC public affairs office at Robins AFB.)