While medics were discovering the nature of the virus, we faced new summer and the threat became obvious. Dozens of people in the USA and South America are getting infected, even though the peak of the “mosquito season” is still about to come. Today even the most optimistic epidemiologists and virologists are starting to bang the drum.
Zika virus is almost here: country is in panic
The worst thing is that we don’t know too much about Zika virus and its development during this year. It looks like a disease, which is more common in southern regions, but day by day we are facing new signs of it in the continental America. And all those signs are so memorable and bright that they have become increasingly prominent and even caused panic. The city of North Queensland was literally flipped off when an infected tourist arrived from Bali. Decontamination groups were cleaning virtually all the districts from mosquitoes because one of them could have drunk some bad blood!
Such radical actions, supported by the lack of information can easily cause panic among citizens. Washington Post wrote, “Mosquito-control companies across the region say that business is booming”. Revenues have shown growth of more than 50% already in May. Also, special brochures appeared in maternity consultancy centers, telling people how to protect themselves from “the plague of the 21st century”.
Not only ordinary people are scared now. Even scientists don’t have total control over the situation. They can only confirm several unpleasant facts: 18 cases of infection were registered in Virginia during one month. On the 1st of June 109, Americans infected with Zika virus were recorded in the city of New York (17 of them are pregnant women!). In total, more than 500 cases of infection are registered in the mainland!
Currently, all of them are unlucky victims of holiday in Thailand or Hawaii, but experts are thinking that there are real theoretical grounds, which can cause virus migration to the west and north. The main incubus of the virus, Asian tiger mosquito, inhabits all around the country. The fact that infected species can be currently met only in the south can’t guarantee that this summer they will come to your backyard. Very humid spring and enormous precipitations of 2016 actually contribute to the development of the virus.
Scientists are saying that during next 20 years the mosquito cover of the mainland will increase from 5% to 16%, according to the study's findings. Also, scientists from the Washington University in St. Louis are affirming the following fact: people in the southeast of the USA (including the State of Maine) may notice Asian tiger mosquitoes in their lands, even though before they were only found in the south.
We don't know if it will ever come to our local mosquito population, but we do know if it does come, bad things can happen — so we want to prepare for the worst,” said David Goodfriend, director of the Loudoun County Health Department.
Ordinary people clearly understand the size of this threat, thus, they are trying to protect themselves. According to Google Trends, the frequency of “mosquito” search string usage increased by 1.5 times in comparison with 2015. And usage of “anti-mosquito repellent” search string made more than double growth already in February this year! And if we talk about “Zika virus” search string, people started to search it… 20 times more often!
What are scientist and officials saying?
Virus Zika forced the humanity to look at mosquitoes from the different point of view. People consider them not as just tiny annoying insects, but firstly as carriers of a deadly disease.
There is no doubt that Zika virus prevention actions are carried out. The government recently contributed 85 million dollars to regions in order to carry out such prevention measures. Social services and health departments of 53 states and cities of the “risk zone” will receive that contribution. Unfortunately, experts are saying that amount of money has to be much bigger.
“These funds will allow states and territories to continue implementation of their Zika preparedness plans, but are not enough to support a comprehensive Zika response and can only temporarily address what is needed,” said Stephen C. Redd, M.D. (RADM, USPHS), director of CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response.
Hundreds of medical workers agree with the doctor’s opinion. Representatives of the American College of Physicians (ACP) together with the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) wrote a furious letter to the Senate demanding to give them a legal right to receive proper financial support for all activities related to Zika virus.
Most likely officials will reciprocate such demands. Any delay today can create serious expenses in future. The Scientific American magazine, together with the experts from the World Bank made several calculations and discovered that only in 2016 our planet will lose… 3.5 billion dollars due to Zika virus! Economists included in such financial losses not only expenses for science and health spheres but also negative affection of the labor and insurance market, tourism, and social problems, as well as losses, caused with death and rehabilitation of infected people.
Unfortunately, even if the government allocates the amount of money required for studies and protection right now, such money will bring real results only after some time. But Zika virus is already on our doorstep and this summer we have to fight with it on our own…
What do we have to do? Best means to combat mosquitoes
Since we don’t have any vaccination and medicaments against Zika, doctors can only give us various tips: make examinations more often and use repellents, dry, wet places near our houses and avoid walking near ponds and rivers, choose protected sex and use only best means to combat mosquitoes. That’s the full list of weapons, which we currently have to fight this dangerous virus.
In order to save your time for searching of the most efficient means to combat mosquitoes on questionable websites with useless tips, Stoppestinfo has researched opinions of various scientists. As a result, we created an easily understandable step-by-step guide “How to eliminate and scare mosquitoes off you and your house: 10 tested and approved by scientists products”.
You can download our infographic using this link http://stoppestinfo.com/200-how-to-get-rid-of-mosquitoes-infographic.html
You won’t find any electronic repellers or apps here because it has long being argued that such things are simply not working. Also, experts don’t believe in various folk remedies, because they can be useful only once in a while. Let’s leave them for previous generations and choose a serious approach to solving this problem.
The majority of means in this list is represented with various repellents, traps and chemical solutions, which can kill the mosquito or its maggots. All these products received a very high evaluation from experts and professional mosquito fighters. Here’s a short 10-step manual, which will tell you how to protect from mosquitoes:
1. Apply to skin repellents containing DEET, Picaridin, Oil of lemon eucalyptus, PMD, IR3535, and Permethrin. They provide long-lasting protection, claims Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here are 14 best mosquito repellent products
2. Spray your clothes with permethrin-based products, such as Sawyer Clothing Insect Repellent. Permethrin-treated clothing repels and kills ticks, chiggers, mosquitoes, and other biting and nuisance arthropods. The effect lasts for up to 6 weeks or 6 washings. The main benefit of a spray is a ~$13 price for a 12-ounce Sawyer spray bottle.
3. Wear Mosquito Repellent Clothing treated with permethrin – as the U.S. Army has been doing for more than 20 years.
4. For baby's sensitive skin use only special natural-based repellent spray, bracelets & stickers.
5. Mosquito repellent plants that really repel mosquitoes: citronella, lemongrass, lemon eucalyptus.
6. House. Protect your house with Mosquito Nettings. Use fans and spend summertime without any bites! Electrocute all flying biters with an Electric Swatter.
7. Dogs. Use products created especially for dogs, like K9 Advantix II Drops. Never use human repellent sprays on dogs!
8. Yard. Treat your backyard with FOGGER to kill and repel mosquitoes and other biting insects. Use it before an outdoor party or a barbecue get-together with the neighbours.
9. On big areas, use mosquito propane traps such as Blue Rhino SkeeterVac or Mosquito Magnet Trap. Such devices can trap and kill over 21 thousands of mosquitoes per day!
10. Stop Mosquitoes From Breeding. Pour out special bacteria (Bti) to any still water at your place (pond or a rainwater tank). Mosquito Dunks or Mosquito Bits kill mosquito larvae and break the breeding cycle.
You can read the Complete Guide on How to Kill and Stop Mosquitoes From Breeding
About the Company
STOPPESTINFO provides readers with trustworthy Do It Yourself pest control methods Guides & product reviews, based on scientific researches, market investigations, customer feedback and testimonials.
Media Contact
Company Name: STOPPESTINFO
Contact Person: John Nabin
Email:Send Email
Country: United States
Website: StopPestInfo.com
