A randomised, placebo controlled clinical trial was recently conducted to examine the efficacy of a homeopathic after-bite gel in providing symptomatic relief of mosquito bites. Sixty-eight healthy volunteers were bitten under laboratory conditions by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes at three spots on the forearm. One bite was treated with the homoeopathic after-bite gel, another bite with a placebo gel, which was identical in appearance and smell to the homoeopathic after-bite gel, and the third bite remained untreated and was used as a control.
Immediately after the bites and at 1,3,6, 26 and 31 hours afterwards, the length and width of the erythema were measured with a calliper, and photographs were also taken of the bite sites. The extent of itching was assessed by each patient using a verbal analogue scale.
The results showed that the bites treated with the homoeopathic treatment group fared significantly better than the placebo and control groups. The average (median) total erythema was 10.500 mm2*h in the homoeopathic group, 12.900 mm2*h in the placebo group and 13.300 mm2*h in the control group.
After pooling the data of a very similar previous pilot study involving 15 people and the present study (total number of subjects = 83), the homoeopathic after-bite gel was found to be significantly superior to placebo or no treatment. The extent of itching was positively correlated with the area of the erythema, and treatment of mosquito bites with the homoeopathic after-bite gel was found to effectively reduce the erythema.
Hill N.; Slam C.; Tuinder S.; Van Haselen R.A. A placebo controlled clinical trial investigating the efficacy of a homoeopathic after bite gel in reducing mosquito bite induced erythema. Eumpean Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (Germany), 1995,49/1-2 (103-108)
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