Memorial Day weekend officially marks the start of the most wonderful season of all: Summer. This means fun in the sun, no school, pool parties, trips to the beach, and…mosquitos. With the Zika virus on the rampage, people need to be especially careful of avoiding mosquito bites. The biggest problem the country has when it comes to these bloodsuckers is people who are misinformed.
Health officials across the country are banding together to try and spread education about mosquitos and the Zika virus to every person in the U.S. Prevention of infection is actually pretty straight forward. You need to carry around some insect repellent containing DEET at all times, and make sure you keep yourself liberally covered in the stuff.
The CDC is advising pregnant women, in particular, avoid traveling to areas where the Zika virus is active. I’d say everyone needs to postpone travel to these areas until this epidemic is over, but it seems people just can’t seem to understand how dangerous this virus is and are still determined to go on their vacation even if it means they might catch it. Well, if you’re still set on going, at least wear insect repellent. Some clothing companies such as L.L. Bean and ExOfficio have come out with shirts treated with permethrin, which they promise can repel mosquitos and other bugs for up to 70 washings.
Are you making sure to stay covered in insect repellent this summer? How many people do you know are still uninformed about the Zika virus?