News Release

For Immediate Release -- June 1, 2015

Egret™ Bed Net approved for National Stock Number and Field Procurement

(Fort Detrick, Md.) -- The U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity's Medical Support Systems Project Management Office announced the assignment of a National Stock Number to the Egret™ Bed Net, manufactured by Triton Systems, Inc., making it ready for field procurement. The Egret™ Bed Net is a dual-insecticide-treated net designed to provide enhanced protection to Soldiers against infectious diseases transmitted by flying insect vectors.

Infectious diseases, such as malaria, dengue fever, and leishmaniasis rank among the Department of Defense's top concerns in preventative health. These diseases have a potential attack rate of 11 to 50 percent per month in multiple military relevant locations around the world. Lost duty days vary from 7 to 14 days, including approximately five percent requiring evacuation and at least one death every other year.

Triton Systems, Inc. employs a state-of-the-art application technology called Invexus® to impregnate the Egret™ Bed Net with both industry-standard permethrin and deltamethrin.

"A lot of disease-carrying insects are building up a resistance to permethrin," said Alan Harner, MSS product manager for the Egret™ Bed Net. "The addition of deltamethrin will make this bed net last longer than the other ones that are currently out there."

The dual insecticide combination also provides a synergistic repellent effect. They work better together than they would separately, according to Harner.

The Egret™ Bed Net complements other MSS preventative medicine products designed to mitigate vector-borne infectious diseases.

"MSS is working to use the Invexus® application technology to impregnate Soldier combat uniforms to provide long-lasting protection," said Steven Hawbecker, MSS project manager.

According to Hawbecker, MSS is also developing options for improved vector surveillance and identification with the Improved Flying Vector Trap and Carbon Dioxide Generator, which collect a more robust representation of vector species in order to provide better risk assessment and identification of the presence of pathogens.

"With that knowledge, additional preventive tools and controls can be employed to more effectively mitigate the threat," said Hawbecker.

MSS provided funding to Triton Systems, Inc. through the U.S. Army Small Business Innovation Research Program to facilitate EPA registration for the dual-insecticide application on the Egret™ Bed Net, a necessary step in obtaining a NSN for the product. Triton Systems received EPA registration in December 2014.

"We were also there to provide feedback for the design ... based off of Soldier feedback," said Harner.

According to Harner, Soldier input from field trials led to zipper replacements and the addition of hanging tabs for personal items. Triton Systems is also looking into adding an optional rain fly.

Hawbecker notes that while the Egret™ Bed Net has great commercial potential for Triton Systems, Inc. in the outdoor recreational market, leveraging its advantages for the protection of Soldiers from infectious diseases is a real benefit for the DoD.

Triton Systems, Inc. is located in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

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