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Is the World, especially tropical countries like India, going to heave a sigh of relief from mosquito menace after a team of American scientists claimed they made progress in tackling it – by confusing the mosquitoes with the help of a gas and making them harmless to humans?

The team is led by an India-born scientist Anandasankar Ray who says that the odour prompts mosquitoes to disperse without sucking any human blood.

It works this way: there are three types of smell molecules that affect the senses of mosquitoes and as a result they are unable to bite human beings and suck blood. The smell molecules disrupt carbon dioxide sensors that alert mosquitoes when human beings exhale the carbon dioxide.

So, how is this laboratory experiment going to benefit us? Well, it could help create what we may call “the next generation mosquito repellents,” which may be in the form of sprays, lotions or gizmos, according to the scientists.

The scientists, belonging to the University of California, said the concoction of chemicals hit the minute sensors of mosquitoes and this dealt a debilitating blow to the pesky insects, crippling their biting power.

In tests undertaken, the compound disorientated mosquitoes put on a wind tunnel which contained carbon dioxide. In another experiment, it baffled mosquitoes let loose in an enclosure containing carbon dioxide-filled huts.

When these mosquito repellents hit the market, they could provide protection from all mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria, among others. That is, all types of mosquitoes are likely to be crippled by the smell.

Mosquitoes transmit dreaded diseases, with some of them taking a critical form, and this results in almost half a million deaths around the world every year.

According to Ray, these chemicals will offer a great deal of advantages when compared to the traditional forms of repellents.

“The molecules can work at very low concentrations, are cost effective and can be very useful in curbing mosquito-borne diseases,” Ray added.

The old forms of repellents may be effective but are hazardous in the long term, especially for children and if the scientists can minimise the side effects of the new gas on humans, it could turn out to be a boon for countries severely affected by virulent mosquito diseases.

Though this gas can be used in a cost-effective manner, is it safe for humans? So, unless this critical aspect is addressed, the new gas could prove to be just another repellent, causing harm to human beings besides tricking mosquitoes.