A Bermuda gas station has secured exclusive rights to sell a mosquito repellent said to be effective against carriers of the Zika virus and other diseases.

Bermuda 2000 Ltd, operators of the Rubis Causeway service station at Blue Hole Hill, said it had been appointed to distribute NOsquito, a natural repellent free of the chemical repellent DEET.

NOsquito is a skin patch that releases Thiamin B-1 into the body, which is released through skin pores and protects against insect bites.

Graeme Hagen, owner of Bermuda 2000, said: “With the spread of the Zika virus throughout our region and the corresponding travel and health advisories from the World Health Organisation the Centres for Disease Control and our own Ministry of Health, it is important that Bermudians take precautions when they travel, especially to countries that have confirmed cases.”