Mosquitoes are killing people - three ways to protect you and your loved ones

Saturday, July 13, 2013 by: Antonia
Tags: West Nile Virus, mosquitos, natural repellant

(NaturalNews) A friend recently informed me that they took his uncle off of life support a few days ago. His uncle was on life support as the result of a mosquito bite from an infected mosquito some time last year.

Also recently, Sacramento County in California reported the first death of a human this year from West Nile virus (WNV).

"His illness, as well as his laboratory test results, are potentially consistent with West Nile neuroinvasive disease," the department reported on its website, westnile.ca.gov.

Finding deceased birds that were infected with the virus are early signs that the disease is present in a given area.

Less than 1 percent of people infected end up with serious illness

According to CDC.gov, one-fifth of people that are infected by WNV will have fever and perhaps other symptoms. Other possible symptoms include body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, or rash.

It is less than 1 percent that develop illness that may prove fatal and about 70-80 percent of people will not see any symptoms at all.

Preventing the disease

1) Remove sources of standing water - One way to circumvent the problem is to be careful about not creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes. They are attracted to standing water where they lay their eggs which usually take about three days to hatch. Removing sources of standing water whenever possible is key.

If there are organized mosquito control programs in your area, report sources of stagnant water and swarms of mosquitoes. Garbage bins in back alleys, flooded yards, and ditches are a few examples.

2) Use repellents without DEET - While arguably DEET is an effective way to repel mosquitoes, DEET has also proved toxic to humans. Natural alternatives for mosquito repellent (and in some cases other bugs) include: Neem oil, soy oil (if able to locate a non-GMO organic source), and catnip oil (reportedly 10x more effective than DEET).

3) Avoid exposure - Staying indoors during the times where the insects are most active, between dusk and dawn primarily, can be effective. Wear clothes to protect skin. Breathable clothing made from hemp can be warm on even hot days allowing protection from bugs and from sunburn, and still allow the wearer to stay cool.

Sources for this article include:

www.cdc.gov

www.sacbee.com

www.mystatesman.com

www.connecttristates.com

www.naturalnews.com

About the author:
A science enthusiast with a keen interest in health nutrition, Antonia has been intensely researching various dieting routines for several years now, weighing their highs and their lows, to bring readers the most interesting info and news in the field. While she is very excited about a high raw diet, she likes to keep a fair and balanced approach towards non-raw methods of food preparation as well. >>> Click here to see more by Antonia