WholeGarment® Knitting of Insecticide-Free, Comfortable Clothing with Anti-Mosquito Protection

Deployed armed forces and the public engaged in outdoor activities are at high risk for mosquito bites and the diseases they transmit. Current mosquito bite-resistant garments prevent blood-feeding with slow-release insecticide formulations. Many people today want to avoid contact with pesticides, especially in their clothing. Insecticide treated clothing also is costly and requires regulatory agency approvals. Using mosquito bite-resistant mathematical textile models and a WholeGarment® knitting technique, a seamless garment was constructed with military-compliant, no-melt, no-drip flame retardant yarns using an AiryPique knit architecture. The garment was 99.5% bite proof in walk-in cage bioassays with 200 Aedes aegypti host-seeking mosquitoes where the human subjects did not move for 20 min. A standard flame test and a PyroManTM flammability study validated the garment’s fire protection, a requirement for military uniforms. The thermal physiological comfort tests (air permeability, wetting time/radius, thermal resistance, evaporative resistance, and sweating thermal manikin test) were similar to current army combat uniforms and appropriate for use in everyday clothing. Bite prevention occurred by physically blocking the insect mouth parts from obtaining a blood meal. The knitting technique is well-suited for mass production of bite-resistant clothing through automation, significantly reducing labor, time, and cost by optimizing “fit on demand” for different body types compared to traditional manufacturing methods. This innovation provides a non-insecticidal, safe, scalable, and efficient solution for protecting individuals against mosquito bites.