Methods of testing repellent efficiency against ticks

ABSTRACT

The use of repellents is the most important in the tick-bite protection. The tests of repellents efficiency shall give strict answer whether ticks are repelled effectively or not by a given agent. Methods of testing repellent efficiency can be divided in in three groups experiments without tick host and host stimuli; studies simulating host stimuli, methods of testing repellents on animals or human volunteers. Studies on protected human volunteers are the nearest practical conditions of repellent use. However, there is sometimes a need of testing products with unknown toxicity to man; in such circumstances their efficiency should be evaluated in experiments in simulated human body conditions but without a person.