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Section Symposium
Medical, Urban, and Veterinary Entomology
Melynda Perry
Textile Chemist
Combat Capabilities Development Command
Natick, Massachusetts
Greg Allen
USDA-ARS
Gainesville, Florida
Parker Brandwein
Combat Capabilities Development Command
Mitchell Gwynn
Combat Capabilities Development Command
Nicole Hoffman
Combat Capabilities Development Command
Michael Manser
Combat Capabilities Development Command
Edmund Norris
USDA-ARS
Gainesville, Florida
Joseph Orlando
Combat Capabilities Development Command
Thomas Tiano
Combat Capabilities Development Command
The US Military uses personal protective measures to reduce exposure to arthropod-borne diseases, specifically the proper wear of a permethrin treated uniform, the use of topical repellent on exposed skin, sleeping under a bed-net, and the use of malaria prophylaxis in endemic areas. Permethrin treated uniforms provide an initial level of bite protection to the Warfighter but degrades with laundering and wear. Additionally, pyrethroid resistance is emerging in many medically important arthropod species. As resistance spreads or becomes more prominent, our current protection methods may cease to protect the Warfighter at the necessary levels. With the rising threat of vector-borne diseases and as we re-define our potential battlefronts and strategies, there is a continuous need to research new technologies. Protection can be enhanced through improved uniforms that ensure efficacy throughout the wear life as well as against resistant mosquito populations. Researchers at Brown University have shown that graphene oxide nano-films interfered with the host-seeking behavior of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The specific aim of this project is to expand upon that knowledge and develop Military specific textile technologies using graphene oxide to minimize bites without degrading the physical and spectral properties of the materials. To date, the addition of graphene oxide to an untreated textile appears to be trending towards a reduction in mosquito bites. Therefore, if successful, combining these graphene technologies with insect repellent treatments on the uniforms will add an additional level of deterrence and provide improved protection against both pyrethroid resistant and non-resistant mosquitoes.