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■Bio-mathematics, Statistics and Nano-Technologies: Mosquito Control Strategies

CONTENTS

13.1

Introduction ...............................................................

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13.2

Material and Methods .....................................................

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13.3

Results ....................................................................

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13.4

Conclusion ................................................................

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13.1

INTRODUCTION

From the early 20th century discovery it is well known that mosquitos are transmitting

the vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya, West Nile virus, yellow

fever, zika fiver, etc. These diseases have spread from Asia and Latin America to other con-

tinents in last decades because of certain climatic conditions. These infections are transmit-

ted mainly by Anopheles spp, Culex pipiens,Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitos

which spread rapidly world-wide. Vector control is the primary means of preventing vector-

borne disease. There is a hope mosquito bites can be reduced by repellents applied on

textiles and paint for walls, too. This chapter discuss about mosquito repellents applied

on cotton fabric for protecting people against Anopheles spp and Aedes aegypti. For this

purpose, scoured and bleached cotton fabric were treated with natural immortelle essen-

tial oil and ingredients, such as water glass and vibroactivated zeolites. Standard scouring

of cotton use, mostly NaOH, with high textile cleaning effects from acquired and added

impurities. Harsh boiling conditions from fiber leach fat, remove waxes, proteins, pectins

and more. The fiber becomes hydrophilic, but loses weight, its feel worsens and the cellu-

lose is partially damaged. From an ecological point of view, NaOH is unfavorable because

it pollutes wastewater, and in the technological process, large amounts of water are used

for rinsing textiles. For these reasons, the cotton fabric have been scoured according to a

new technology, with pectinase, the production of which this fabric has been chemicaly

bleached with hydrogen peroxide, using the standard procedure.

Immortelle oil is obtained from Helichrysum italicum plant. It is mediterranean

shrubby plant that grows on sunny rocks along the coast and blooms with yellow flow-

ers. It has been used for centuries in the traditional medicine of Mediterranean countries.

Back in Homer’s time, the Greeks valued immortelle as an excellent remedy for wounds.

Today’s science confirms that immortelle essential oil contains special properties that give

it antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, regenerative and anti-inflammatory effects. It is

rich in italodiones, intolerant diketones. Vibroactivated zeolite is natural minerals zeolite

(crinoptilolite), treated with a special and protected technology of vibroactivated natural

minerals which gives a completely new nanoparticle that has the ability to enter the cell

of a living organism. The difference between tribomechanical and vibroactivated zeolite

is in particle size, ion exchange capacity, electrostatic potential of the particle and most

importantly in the activation of natural Silicon.[2].

Treated cotton achieved very good efficacy results without and with mentioned ingredi-

ents in treated bath. SEM images clearly showed different cotton surface when applied wa-