Nootkatone: A new active ingredient for developing insecticides and insect repellents [CDC Article]

Significant Findings:

"Nootkatone, as an EPA-registered product. allows manufacturers to develop insect repellents, lotions, and soaps for consumers"

Abstract:

"Nootkatone, as an EPA-registered product. allows manufacturers to develop insect repellents, lotions, and soaps for consumers

Every state and US territory is at risk for vector-borne diseases (VBD). The number of reported cases of VBD doubled from 2004 to 2018. Tickborne diseases (TBD) represent almost 80 percent of reported VDB cases. Ten vector-borne pathogens were newly identified in the United States in the past 13 years, including chikungunya, Zika, and six tickborne pathogens.

For various reasons, many people don’t like to use insect repellents. In order to address mosquito and tickborne threats, we need products that people accept and are willing to use to protect themselves from bites. Also, mosquitoes are becoming increasingly resistant to insecticides, therefore we need new publicly supported insecticide options.

On July 20, 2020 the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced registration of the CDC-discovered and developed compound, nootkatone, for manufacturing use into insecticides and repellents. Registration of a manufacturing use product paves the way for manufacturers to develop nootkatone-based products for consumers to buy, including insect repellents, lotions, and soaps. CDC, our exclusively licensed partner, Evolva, and HHS Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority played a pivotal role in the discovery, applied research, and EPA registration of this compound. Read the press release to learn more."

Full Study: https://www.cdc.gov/ncezid/dvbd/media/dpk-nootkatone.html