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  • 2016-08-09 (xsd:date)
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  • Is Coffee an Effective Protective Measure Against Mosquitoes and Zika? (en)
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  • In August 2016 concerns about the spread of the Zika virus escalated as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a warning about active Zika transmission in northern Miami. Zika exposure has been cited in the death of one Texas baby and the birth of several others afflicted with microcephaly in the United States in 2016. Meanwhile, the Miami New Times published an article suggesting that residents could use good old cafĂ© cubano to repel mosquitoes responsible for spreading the disease: Abuela Mami, the Cuban goods importer named in the article, shared a video that instructed viewers to sprinkle coffee grounds around their yards. However, the framing of the video led many to infer that coffee grounds or other coffee extracts were meant to be applied directly to their skin in order to repel mosquitoes: Given that coffee is present in some skin care products, it isn't likely there's much danger in applying coffee grounds to skin (save for staining clothing or smelling like a Starbucks). But neither does there seem to be much evidence suggesting coffee has much effect (if any) on mosquito-human interaction, particularly when applied topically. A May 2015 article by The Germ Code author Jason Tetro described some of the science behind the notion that coffee can be used against mosquitoes, but primarily in the sense of its being a larvae control measure and not a topical repellant: Those findings pertained not to the matter of larger concern (i.e., keeping mature mosquitoes from biting people and infecting them with Zika), but to preventing larval mosquitoes from maturing in the first place. The information stemmed from research published by Parasites & Vectors in 2015 that examined addressing issues of coffee disposal alongside mosquito control measures. Researchers observed effects of coffee on the breeding (not the biting) of mosquitoes: Unrelated research in 2005 [PDF] similarly observed coffee (and perhaps caffeine) as having an adverse effect on mosquito larvae but did not delve into application of coffee to the skin to ward off mosquito bites. Moreover, those findings reported that coffee could also serve as a possible source of nutrition for mosquito larvae: In short, some evidence suggests that coffee might inhibit mosquito breeding (but also suggests that in some cases could facilitate mosquito larvae survival). The science behind coffee grounds' inhibiting mosquito life cycles is thin, and no solid scientific evidence indicates that topical application of coffee will repel Zika-carrying mosquitos. (en)
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