The chemical DEET has been our first and best line of defense against mosquitoes since the 1940s. Now a strain of bacteria that lives inside a common parasitic worm could play an important role in the fight against mosquitos. A study published in Science Advances < link > has found that a compound derived from these bacteria is three times more potent than DEET in repelling mosquitoes.
Source: NPR, January 16, 2019. Link. Chemical analysis of the repellent compound secreted by the bacteria revealed it to be part of a class of chemicals known as fabclavines. If fabclavines proves safe, effective and practical for human use, the ancient methods of the roundworm and its bacterial partners could prove to be a new weapon in the race to ward off mosquitoes.