Dengue Fever

One of the most serious mosquito-transmitted diseases is Dengue (pronounced DENG-gay) Fever. Historically, those in the United States have not had to worry about this disease; mosquitos which transmit Dengue have only been problematic for those in India, most of South Asia, northern areas of South America and Central America. However, in the past two years, outbreaks of Dengue have occurred in Key West, Florida prompting health officials to worry if the disease will grasp a foothold in the United States.

Symptoms of Dengue Fever are much more serious than those of the West Nile virus which has drawn a lot of attention from U.S. media in recent years. While West Nile was responsible for some deaths, many of those infected never experienced symptoms or had symptoms no different than those of the common cold. Dengue Fever carries significantly more serious side-effects. Symptoms of Dengue Fever include a high fever, headaches, dizziness, loss of appetite. The fever can also result in a decrease in platelets and white blood cells. More serious cases of Dengue Fever include encephalitic occurrences (swelling of the brain), a weak pulse and low blood pressure.

While West Nile is commonly reported as being life-threatening, in truth, it is no more life-threatening than a common cold; fatal victims of the virus were usually elderly. Dengue is more life-threatening to younger, healthier people making it a mosquito-transmitted disease that should warrant more concern.

Dengue Fever is also known as “breakbone fever” since those infected report feeling intense pain in their bones and joints. Not everyone infected with Dengue Fever will experience such painful symptoms; some of those infected never even know they have it.

For now, it appears that Dengue Fever is only a concern to those in the southern parts of Florida. It is advisable to use a DEET-based mosquito repellent when venturing outdoors in the area. Mosquitoes carrying Dengue Fever were a fairly significant problem in the U.S. in the 1960s, but were eradicated by the pesticide DDT.

Myths of Mosquito Prevention

Mosquito bites are annoyingly itchy and uncomfortable. Naturally, there is quite the market out there for helping people avoid mosquito bites. In this market, most of the products and advice is pretty helpful. However, as is often the case anytime there’s a dollar to be made, there’s a couple of ineffective products and bits of wisdom as well. Let’s expose some of the less useful ways to avoid mosquito bites that are commonly practiced:

Bug Zappers

Everyone’s personal favorite: the fluorescent blue light that makes a charming little buzz-noise every time a mosquito flies towards his death. Every buzz you hear is one less bite you have to worry about, right? Wrong! Bug zappers have been shown to be wholly ineffective in lowering mosquito populations in any given area where they are used. For every zap you hear, there’s only about a 1-3% chance that it was a female mosquito responsible for producing the charming sound. The other 99%? Beetles, moths, and male mosquitoes (who don’t bite) among other random insects. People have been using this popular device for decades without realizing it’s doing them no good. In most cases, a bug zapper actually does more harm than good! How is this so? Because it is typically the only form of mosquito-bite prevention people use when outdoors during darker hours. This allows the mosquitoes to feast on DEET-free skin all night long.

Vitamin B

Whoever started the rumor that ingesting vitamin B supplements helps deter mosquitoes from biting you has a pretty active imagination. In truth, this claim has no validity. While the makers of vitamin supplements would like you to think otherwise, ingesting vitamin B supplements has been shown to have no effect on deterring mosquitoes. The same can be said for garlic supplements which also have a reputation for helping dissuade the pesky insects from biting.

DEET is not safe/Alternative all-natural products work just as well

There are a lot of companies that claim DEET is unsafe and that you should use their all-natural insect repellent instead. This is bogus advice. Not only is DEET perfectly safe, but it is by far the most effective way to prevent mosquito bites. Studies suggest that DEET can cause seizures in about one in 100 million users. In other words, your chances of having a health issue relating to DEET usage is not too much higher than your chances of keeling over dead before you finish reading this sentence.