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The US military is making uniforms with built-in bug spray

Mosquito-proof fabrics are being tested by the US military in an effort to make uniforms that protect against malaria and other diseases

By Jeremy Hsu

19 July 2022

Roughly one dozen mosquitoes rest upon a white piece of fabric

Mosquitoes may be no match for fabrics woven with insect repellent-infused fibres

Johner Images/Alamy

Future US military uniforms could grant protection against disease-carrying mosquitoes by having insect repellent embedded within the fabric itself. Testing by military researchers has shown that specially manufactured nylon fibres can provide slow release of repellents for at least three days, more than the 8-to-12-hour protection provided by spraying common insect repellents such as DEET or picaridin on clothing and skin.

Throughout much of human history, insect-borne disease has often inflicted more casualties on armies than combat – and …

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