Obviously, the most effective antimalarial is avoiding the female Anopheles
mosquito bite that causes the disease in the first place. The best way to dodge this
dusk-to-dawn pest is still through use of repellents containing DEET, scientifically
known as N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide. The chemical’s been around since the ’40s, when
the Agriculture Department developed it. Though DEET occasionally causes allergic
reactions, EPA studies have concluded that it is not carcinogenic.
Surprisingly, the term “repellent” is a misnomer: DEET actually works by
confusing mosquitoes, not repelling them. The chemical clogs receptors in mosquitoes’
mouths and eyes that can normally detect your body’s carbon dioxide excretions
from as far away as 70'. After a good whiff, the inebriated pest finds herself unable to
sort out all the cacophonous signals her brain is receiving. It may take several hours to
cure her hangover.
Some people report that natural repellents or Avon’s “Skin So Soft” work for
them. You may have had success with these at home. But unless they’ve proved
successful for you in the tropics, it’s wise to carry DEET just in case — from Outside and other sources.