Latin America. The company's new product of paints and coatings seeks to protect the population of the South American country from dengue and other viruses such as Zika and chikungunya.
According to the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the Aedes aegypti mosquito was primarily responsible for the 165% increase in dengue cases in this country during the first months of 2022. Precisely the repellent action of the new varnish created by the Coral brand of AkzoNobel fights this mosquito.
Known as Bem Estar PROTEÇÃO ANTIMOSQUITO (Wellness Anti-Mosquito Protection), the varnish contains an active ingredient called permethrin. When a mosquito perches in the new transparent layer, permethrin is absorbed through its legs and overexcites the insect's nervous system, causing it to detach or fall off.
"Public health is a major problem in countries around the world, and especially in Brazil, which reports the highest number of dengue cases in the world," says Daniel Campos, director of Decorative Paints at AkzoNobel in Latin America, who points out that this new coating (the first of its kind in the region) is a transparent matte varnish that can be applied on any painted wall.
"We want to help people take care of their families by offering them an innovative product that will be able to provide them with continuous protection against the Aedes aegypti mosquito 24 hours a day, for two years," says Campos.
The efficacy of 'Well-being Protection Anti-Mosquito' was tested in an independent external laboratory, certified by the Brazilian Network of Analytical Laboratories in Health.
All the tests that were carried out took place on walls and ceilings painted in the environment of a life-size house and successfully demonstrated that mosquitoes were repelled from the room after contact. The active ingredient was retained in the varnish matrix.
Dengue is a viral infection that is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. According to the World Health Organization, the global incidence of this virus has grown dramatically, with about half of the world's population at risk.
As of May 14 of this year, there were 855,910 reports of probable dengue infections in Brazil, with an incidence of 401.2 per 100,000 inhabitants.
The magnitude of the public health problem is evidenced by the fact that dengue, Zika and chikungunya do not have a specific treatment. In this way, prevention is considered the best strategy.
It is expected that soon the new AkzoNobel product, currently only marketed in Brazil, will be available in other countries and regions.
