Wellness Advisory Committee

Avoiding Mosquito Bites -- and the West Nile Virus


Using insect repellents that contain DEET is the most effective way to prevent 
mosquito bites. Mosquitoes are attracted to perspiration, body odor, and carbon 
dioxide from your breath. DEET confuses their receptors. The more DEET in a 
product, the longer it should protect you, but levels above 50% provide no added 
protection. Make sure to follow label directions and ask your doctor before using 
on children under 2 years of age and women in the first trimester or pregnancy. 
In addition to using a repellent with DEET, these precautions can help you 
prevent bites:

*Stay indoors around dawn and dusk, when the bugs are most active.
*Keep screens on windows in good condition to prevent mosquitoes from getting 
 inside.
*Drain standing water from buckets, flowerpots, toys, and other containers where 
 mosquitoes can breed.
*Clean and refill birdbaths weekly.
*Drain children's wading pools when they're not in use.
*Do not touch a dead or sick bird with your bare hands. Birds carry the West Nile 
 Virus and they infect mosquitoes. If you find a dead bird, call your health 
 department to find out how to dispose of the body.

Most people who get West Nile Virus from a mosquito bite develop no symptoms, but 
it can lead to a serious illness for a few. In rare cases it can be passed through 
blood transfusions, organ transplants, or from mother to baby. West Nile virus 
affects the central nervous system. Up to 20% of those infected will have symptoms 
that include fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and vomiting. Rashes on the chest, 
stomach, or back and swollen lymph glands are other symptoms. The symptoms generally 
appear 3 to 14 days after a mosquito bite from an infected mosquito, and can last a 
few days or weeks. If you're pregnant, contact your doctor if you think you have 
West Nile Virus. Very few people -- about one in 150 -- get serious complications 
that may cause permanent neurological damage. If you're over the age of 50, you're 
more likely to develop complications. Severe symptoms include coma, neck stiffness, 
convulsions, tremors, vision loss, numbness, and paralysis. 

Source:  Dave Krishna, Clinical Pharmacist, Drugstore.com