Prevention Research

https://www.cdc.gov/features/stopmosquitoes/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/pdfs/fs_mosquito_bite_prevention_us.pdf

  • use an EPA-registered insect repellent (safe and effective, even from pregnant and breastfeeding women)
    • reapply every few hours, per instructions
    • don’t spray on skin under clothes
    • apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent
    • no OLE or PMD on children under 3
    • key ingredients
      • DEET
      • Picaridin (AKA KBR 3023 and icaridin)
      • IR3535
      • Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)
      • Para-menthane-diol (PMD)
      • 2-undecanone
  • wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants
    • permethrin-treated clothes protect after multiple washings
  • wear light colors
  • wear shoes/foot protection (mosquitoes are attracted to skin odor)
  • use window/door screens or a mosquito bed net
  • biting habits of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus: primarily daytime, sometimes at night

https://bestlifeonline.com/avoid-mosquito-bites/

  • basil is toxic to mosquito larvae
  • burning thyme is 85-90% effective at repelling mosquitoes
  • use fans

 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/genetically-engineered-mosquitoes/

  • genetically engineered mosquitoes have been released in the Cayman Islands, Malaysia, and Brazil to counteract dengue
  • developed by Oxitec
  • targeting Dengue because it is only 1 subspecies of mosquito

References

CDC. (n.d.). Mosquito Bite Prevention (United States) [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/pdfs/fs_mosquito_bite_prevention_us.pdf

CDC. (2018, March 19). Mosquito Bites. Retrieved April 17, 2019, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: http://www.cdc.gov/features/stopmosquitoes/

Genetically Engineered…Mosquitoes? (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2019, from Scientific American website: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/genetically-engineered-mosquitoes/

BestLifeOnline.com (2018, May 9). 20 Genius Tricks to Avoid Getting Bitten by Mosquitos. Retrieved April 17, 2019, from Best Life website: https://bestlifeonline.com/avoid-mosquito-bites/