‘Tis the season for picnics, bonfires and camping, but along with the sunshine and fresh air come insects. Not only are they annoying and their bites often itchy, but many carry dangerous diseases.
Among a long list of mosquito and tick-borne diseases are Eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile virus and Lyme disease. West Nile virus is one of the most common carried by mosquitos, and in 2012, West Nile was responsible for 5,674 illnesses and 286 deaths. The previous year, 24,364 people were infected with Lyme disease, which is carried by ticks.
Insect repellent is certainly a good way to ward off disease-carrying critters (if you’re concerned about what chemicals are in bug sprays, we have a visual explainer here), but there are some things you may be doing wrong that could minimize its efficacy.
Read more about the Huffington Post article’s on bug spray here.
Myles Haverluck 