Update Date: 2009/08/06 00:07 [AFP, Paris, 5th Central News Agency]

A study released today shows that DEET, the most common compound in insect repellents worldwide, affects the human central nervous system similarly to certain insecticides and nerve gases. However, researchers noted that moderate use is likely safe.

Yet, experiments on insects and enzymes extracted from the nerve cells of mice and humans have for the first time demonstrated that DEET interferes with the normal functioning of the nervous system. Researchers stated that further experiments are "urgently needed" to assess the potential toxicity of DEET to humans, particularly when mixed with other chemical ingredients.

Developed by U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists after World War II, DEET has been used as an insect repellent for over 50 years. Marketed in liquid, cream, and spray forms with concentrations ranging from 5% to 100%, it is not only widely used by outdoor campers but also serves as a frontline defense against mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.

According to the study published in the journal BMC Biology, approximately 200 million people use products containing DEET annually.

Vincent Corbel, the lead author of the study and a researcher at the Montpellier Development Research Center in France, said, "It has been used for many years, but only now has new research shown that it may be toxic."

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