Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
Or call 0345 90 80 161
06 August 2014 09:19
Mosquitoes can spread dangerous diseases such as malaria
Smartphone apps which emit ultrasonic frequencies may help keep mosquitoes at bay, but experts warn against using them as standalone repellents.
Mosquitoes can be a serious problem for travellers as they can spread serious tropical diseases such as malaria, which can be fatal.
Electronic mosquito repellents, or EMRs, claim to work by emitting sounds mimicking those of mosquito predators such as bats and dragonflies.
Alternatively, they replicate the noise made by the wings of male insects as once a female mosquito has mated, she is thought to actively avoid contact with males.
The most popular app of its kind is the Anti Mosquito Sonic Repeller, which comes with a range of frequencies to target different species of mosquito, depending on location.
The app's developers claim that most people will not notice the sound it emits, as the pitch is so high it is inaudible to humans.
But the app does not guarantee 100% protection from mosquitoes as there are over 3,500 species, all of which react slightly differently to the sound.
In fact, experts have warned against using EMRs as sole repellents and stress the importance of using more conventional measures to avoid sustaining bites and having to claim for treatment on your medical travel insurance policy.
Researchers from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine found that EMRs had no impact on the landing rates of mosquitoes.
This means there is no evidence that such devices or apps could help prevent the spread of diseases such as malaria in humans, they say.
The experts also stress that there is little proof that female mosquitoes avoid males after mating, adding that it is in fact the males which are attracted by the female flight sound.
By contrast female mosquitoes have a very low sensitivity for sound compared to their male counterparts.
02 March 2019
A Flybe flight was forced to abort take-off due to the cabin filling with "smoke" while it was accelerating along the runway at Exeter Airport.
[more...]
01 March 2019
Holidaymakers will soon be able to take advantage of the first direct flight from London to Scotland's Western Isles after Loganair announced three new routes.
28 February 2019
Over one in five women in the UK wrongly think a smear test can detect ovarian cancer, new research has revealed.
27 February 2019
One in 10 UK adults over the age of 40 is living with Type 2 diabetes, new analysis suggests - but the real figure could be much higher.
26 February 2019
British Airways has revealed the second of its series of retro liveries being recreated as part of the airline's 100th birthday celebrations.
23 February 2019
The price of a prescription in England is set to rise again, the Government has announced, in a move some campaigners have called disappointing.
22 February 2019
Just half an hour of exercise every morning could be as effective as drugs at lowering daily blood pressure, research suggests.
21 February 2019
A British man accidentally used the wrong passport to fly from Prague to the UK, leaving his friend stranded in the Czech capital.
19 February 2019
Hundreds of passengers have had their travel plans cancelled following the collapse of airline flybmi.
16 February 2019
Holidaymakers were left fuming after a "lack of clarity" over Brexit led a Romanian airline to cancel flights from Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.
15 February 2019
British Airways celebrated Valentine's Day with a special flight where all members of the cabin crew were couples who work for the airline.
14 February 2019
The "concerning" level of stigma surrounding the human papilloma virus (HPV) could be putting some women off going for vital check-ups, campaigners are warning.