Mosquito Bite Allergy: Understanding Skeeter Syndrome

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends looking for repellants with the following ingredients to help reduce mosquito bites:

• DEET Chemical name: N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide or N,N-diethyl-3-methyl-benzamide; it is found in products including Off, Cutter, Sawyer, and Ultrathon.
• Picaridin Chemical name: 2-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperidinecarboxylic acid 1-methylpropyl ester; it is found in products including Cutter Advanced, Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus, and Autan.
• Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE or PMD) Chemical name: para-menthane-3,8-diol; the synthesized version of OLE is found in products including Repel and Off Botanicals. Note that the CDC recommends looking for OLE as an ingredient in a repellant; oil of lemon eucalyptus essential oil by itself is not recommended as an insect repellant.
• IR3535 Chemical name: 3-[N-butyl-N-acetyl]-aminopropionic acid, ethyl ester; it is found in products including Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Expedition and SkinSmart.
• 2-Undecanone Chemical name: methyl nonyl ketone); it is found in BioUD.

“DEET remains the gold standard by which all other repellents are judged,” says Joseph Conlon, a technical adviser at the American Mosquito Control Association who is based in Orange Park, Florida. “Over 25 years of empirical testing of more than 20,000 other compounds has not resulted in another marketed chemical product with the duration of protection and broad-spectrum effectiveness of DEET.”

Some studies over the years have linked DEET to some rare but serious side effects, including adverse neurological effects such as seizures, uncoordinated movements, agitation, aggressive behavior, low blood pressure, and skin irritation, according to the CDC.

“Picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus are remarkably close in effectiveness to DEET, without many of DEET’s putative undesirable characteristics,” Conlon says.

Whatever repellent you choose, the trick to outwitting mosquitoes is to apply — and reapply — as directed.

“Most apparent repellency failures with DEET are due to misapplications, so care should be taken to apply it thoroughly, though avoiding the eyes and mucous membranes of the nose, and to reapply when necessary,” Conlon says. Reapplying is crucial to maintain the DEET vapor barrier above the skin that keeps mosquitoes from biting, he says.