
Mosquito Bite
For the Zika Summer of 2016, insect repellent is in vogue, and also in Vogue magazine. Kari Molvar writes in Vogue, What’s the Best Bug Spray to Use in the Age of Zika? The Pros Weigh In
Don’t spray your face—instead, mist your hands and spread over your complexion. There’s no need to spritz any areas covered by clothing, or the actual garment itself.
Numerous health professionals recommend DEET and Picardin and discuss the ineffectiveness of other products.
The CDC is operating at the highest activity level, Level 1. They are hosting multiple programs for health professionals to answer questions. Successful prevention of Zika must focus on human behavior. With diseases such as Yellow Fever or Chikungunya, symptoms are not easy to ignore and infected travelers more readily self identify. Many people who contract Zika have mild symptoms or are asymptomatic. Travelers can unwittingly return to the US mainland infected with Zika and pass the disease to the local mosquito population. To prevent the spread of Zika, the CDC wants all people traveling to Zika infected areas to use insect repellent for 3 weeks following their return.
So far, no reported Zika infections have been acquired from mosquito bites within the United States. However, four cases of infants with Zika related birth defects born to travelers have already been reported. Extra precautions are advised and in vogue.
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