A soap solution can help you in preventing malaria mosquito bites. For decades, the fight against malaria mosquitoes has proven to be unsuccessful at times. Mosquito carriers are already immune to pesticides. Studies show that adding a simple, everyday ingredient can help ward off malaria mosquitoes.
The Essentials of Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease. It is because of a parasite that hitches a ride on female mosquitoes. Through the bite of infected mosquitoes, the parasite enters the blood and causes chaos. Malaria is common in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Studies show that about 290 million people contract this disease. At least 400,000 individuals die of this ailment.
Insecticides and preventive medication are the primary methods of preventing malaria infections. Treated mosquito nets and clothing also help protect people from bites. Research shows that the WHO has already recommended the malaria vaccine for kids who live in places with many cases of malaria. Here are the common signs and symptoms of malaria:
- Chills
- Fever
- Headache
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Feeling of discomfort
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- Cough
- Joint pain
- Muscle pain
- Rapid heart rate
- Abdominal pain
In some cases, patients may have malaria attacks. This often begins with chills and shivering. Then, a high fever follows. The patient sweats and then the temperature returns to normal. The symptoms will begin about three weeks after the bite. Research reveals that malaria parasites can stay dormant in your body for up to a year.
The Soap Solution
Studies show that fighting malaria may improve with a simple addition of soap to some types of pesticides. The soap solution can boost the insecticide’s efficacy by at least ten-fold. This is a promising discovery because of the growing resistance of malaria mosquitoes to insecticides over the past 20 years.
Laboratory tests show that neonicotinoids are more effective in areas where mosquitoes have developed resistance to current insecticides. But neonicotinoids need to have a boost in potency first before they kill mosquitoes. This is where the soap solution comes in. Soap is the boosting component.
Three brands of soap were used for the trial:
- La Perdix Savon
- Maitre Savon de Marseille
- Carolin Savon Noir
The scientists added these soaps to four different neonicotinoids: thiamethoxam, clothianidin, acetamiprid, and imidacloprid. All the insecticides became more potent right away. The three brands increased the mortality of the insecticides by 39 to 100 percent. The study team wants to perform more tests to see how much soap is necessary to make these insecticides more potent. The results of the recent soap solution study will give way to more effective mosquito repellents in the future.
The Ingredients
Protocols in WHO recommend adding a soap that has a linseed oil base to insecticides. When this happened, mosquito deaths increased dramatically than the deaths caused by using insecticides alone. The soap solution components were like those of a kitchen soap. That is why the scientists chose the three mentioned soap bands.
The fight against malaria has been frustrating over the years. More people are getting infected because of the resistance that mosquitoes have already developed. With the new soap solution, you can look forward to a better arsenal for future battles with malaria.
