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CMAJ • January 6, 2004; 170 (1)
© 2004 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors

Letters
Correspondance

Missing information on DEET

Gideon Koren

Professor of Pediatrics, Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Medicine and Medical Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.

Robert Nevin cites 2 studies on the effects of DEET in rats1,2 without mentioning the most important variable in such research, the dose applied. Many compounds, including water, will cause toxic effects if given in large enough doses. In both studies cited by Nevin, the doses given were astronomical (between 4 and 400 mg/kg body weight), but these doses are not relevant to the use of DEET in humans. In contrast, the findings from several studies in rodents, such as that by Schoenig and colleagues,3 have not concurred with the results obtained by Abdel-Rahman and associates1 or Abou-Donia and collaborators.2

The anxiety regarding the toxic effects of DEET in young children has stemmed from a small number of widely publicized case reports of acute seizures in toddlers, as cited in our article.4 However, our analysis suggests that an association between the seizures and use of DEET is unlikely.4 To the best of our knowledge, no similar claim has been made regarding chronic neurotoxicity of DEET in children, and no published clinical data have been presented to support such a possibility.

Gideon Koren Professor of Pediatrics, Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Medicine and Medical Genetics University of Toronto Toronto, Ont.

References

  1. Abdel-Rahman A, Shetty AK, Abou-Donia MB. Subchronic dermal application of N,N-diethyl m-toluamide (DEET) and permethrin to adult rats, alone or in combination, causes diffuse neuronal cell death and cytoskeletal abnormalities in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus, and Purkinje neuron loss in the cerebellum. Exp Neurol 2001;172(1):153-71.[Medline]
  2. Abou-Donia MB, Goldstein LB, Dechovskaia A, Bullman S, Jones KH, Herrick EA, et al. Effects of daily dermal application of DEET and epermethrin, alone and in combination, on sensorimotor performance, blood–brain barrier, and blood–testis barrier in rats. J Toxicol Environ Health A 2001;62(7):523-41.[Medline]
  3. Schoenig GP, Osimitz TG, Gabriel KL, Hartnagel R, Gill MW, Goldenthal EJ. Evaluation of chronic toxicity and oncogenicity of DEET. Toxicol Sci 1999;47:99-109.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  4. Koren G, Matsui D, Bailey B. DEET-based insect repellents: safety implications for children and pregnant and lactating women. CMAJ 2003; 169 (3):209-12.[Abstract/Free Full Text]



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Missing information on DEET
James I. Moss
CMAJ, 14 Jan 2004 [Full text]
This Article
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