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Volume 11
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Article

Evaluating the Usability, Durability, and Effectiveness of Permethrin-Treated Uniforms and Metofluthrin Spatial Repellent in Preventing Mosquito Bites in the Laos Military

by
Parat Boonyarangka
1,
Pheutsapha Sonthilath
2,
Sidhartha Chaudhury
1,*,
Virasack Banouvong
3,
Worachet Kuntawunginn
1,
Siriporn Sornsakrin
1,
Bounor Taobouathong
2,
Thavone Sinhthapaseuth
2,
Utaiwan Srichairatanakul
1,
Montri Arsanok
1,
Chanthalone Khamkong
3,
Latsamee Lattavong
2,
Raweewan Srisawat
4,
Tharinee Saleepochn
5,
Witcha Imaram
5,6,
Alyssa Mann
1,
Erica J. Lindroth
1,
Bouasy Hongvanthong
3,
James Jones
1 and
Krisada Jongsakul
1
1
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
2
Laos People’s Army Medical Department, Vientiane 01000, Laos
3
Laos Center of Malariology, Parasitology, and Entomology (CMPE), Vientiane 01000, Laos
4
Department of Medical Entomology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
5
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
6
Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2026, 11(5), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed11050142
Submission received: 18 February 2026 / Revised: 6 May 2026 / Accepted: 7 May 2026 / Published: 19 May 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Military Medicine: An Everlasting War against Tropical and Infectious Diseases)
Versions Notes

Abstract

While vector control methods have successfully reduced malaria rates worldwide, such methods are not always suitable for military use. We evaluated the usability, durability, and effectiveness of permethrin-treated uniforms and metofluthrin spatial repellent in preventing mosquito bites among soldiers in the Laos People’s Army that were deployed on a 12-week field exercise. The study enrolled 173 subjects into four different groups: (1) metofluthrin-only, (2) permethrin-treated uniforms, (3) metofluthrin with permethrin-treated uniforms, and (4) a control group. We measured efficacy through self-reported survey responses and a serological test for antibodies to Anopheles salivary antigens and assessed the durability of permethrin treatment over the 12-week exercise. We found that soldiers given metofluthrin and permethrin-treated uniforms were 72% and 46% more likely to report decreased mosquito bites compared to those in the control group and that soldiers with permethrin-treated uniforms had significantly lower (p < 0.05) antibody levels to the Anopheles SG6 salivary antigen. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that treated uniforms still contained a significant permethrin concentration that showed 50 to 100% mosquito mortality. Overall, our findings show that both metofluthrin and permethrin-treated uniforms were well-tolerated and led to significantly fewer reported mosquito bites, and that permethrin, in particular, was found to be durable throughout the 12-week field exercise and effective in reducing mosquito bite exposure, underscoring its value in military applications.
Keywords: malaria; military; vector control; permethrin; metofluthrin malaria; military; vector control; permethrin; metofluthrin

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MDPI and ACS Style

Boonyarangka, P.; Sonthilath, P.; Chaudhury, S.; Banouvong, V.; Kuntawunginn, W.; Sornsakrin, S.; Taobouathong, B.; Sinhthapaseuth, T.; Srichairatanakul, U.; Arsanok, M.; et al. Evaluating the Usability, Durability, and Effectiveness of Permethrin-Treated Uniforms and Metofluthrin Spatial Repellent in Preventing Mosquito Bites in the Laos Military. Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2026, 11, 142. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed11050142

AMA Style

Boonyarangka P, Sonthilath P, Chaudhury S, Banouvong V, Kuntawunginn W, Sornsakrin S, Taobouathong B, Sinhthapaseuth T, Srichairatanakul U, Arsanok M, et al. Evaluating the Usability, Durability, and Effectiveness of Permethrin-Treated Uniforms and Metofluthrin Spatial Repellent in Preventing Mosquito Bites in the Laos Military. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. 2026; 11(5):142. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed11050142

Chicago/Turabian Style

Boonyarangka, Parat, Pheutsapha Sonthilath, Sidhartha Chaudhury, Virasack Banouvong, Worachet Kuntawunginn, Siriporn Sornsakrin, Bounor Taobouathong, Thavone Sinhthapaseuth, Utaiwan Srichairatanakul, Montri Arsanok, and et al. 2026. "Evaluating the Usability, Durability, and Effectiveness of Permethrin-Treated Uniforms and Metofluthrin Spatial Repellent in Preventing Mosquito Bites in the Laos Military" Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 11, no. 5: 142. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed11050142

APA Style

Boonyarangka, P., Sonthilath, P., Chaudhury, S., Banouvong, V., Kuntawunginn, W., Sornsakrin, S., Taobouathong, B., Sinhthapaseuth, T., Srichairatanakul, U., Arsanok, M., Khamkong, C., Lattavong, L., Srisawat, R., Saleepochn, T., Imaram, W., Mann, A., Lindroth, E. J., Hongvanthong, B., Jones, J., & Jongsakul, K. (2026). Evaluating the Usability, Durability, and Effectiveness of Permethrin-Treated Uniforms and Metofluthrin Spatial Repellent in Preventing Mosquito Bites in the Laos Military. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 11(5), 142. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed11050142

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