Latest news with #DEET
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
West Nile Virus detected in Davidson County for the first time in 2025
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Metro Public Health Department's Pest Management Team has reported the presence of West Nile Virus in Davidson County. The team said that the virus was detected in a mosquito pool; the trap for the pool had been established off Neelys Bend Road in Nashville's Madison neighborhood. This is the first detection of West Nile Virus this year with no human cases reported so far in 2025. The Metro Public Health Department said that last year, there was a high level of virus detected in area mosquito pools. The department first started monitoring the mosquito traps for the 2024 season at the end of April. AUGUST 2024 | Davidson County health officials monitor mosquitoes for West Nile virus In all, the Pest Management team captured and tested more than 39,000 mosquitos across 32 Davidson County sample sites. By mid-October, the virus had been detected at every sampling site in the county. 'Keeping our community safe and healthy means monitoring mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile Virus and informing those who might be at risk,' Dr. Sanmi Areola, Metro Public Health Department's Director of Health said. 'Education is a big part of our work, ensuring that we know that we all have a roles to play in reducing breeding of mosquitoes and preventing bites so that those who are at risk know what they can do to protect themselves and their families.' The Pest Management Team revisits impacted sites and sets additional traps, monitoring standing water and applying larvicide when they see mosquito larvae. However, the department does not spray to kill adult mosquitos. The health department sends fliers to residences in impacted areas with steps to protect against mosquito bites and reduce standing water, which is where mosquitos can lay eggs. There are some other steps you can take, including: Limit time outdoors at dusk and nighttime, when mosquitos are most active. Wear a mosquito repellant approved for use by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including products that contain Picardin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus and DEET. The Environmental Protection Agency has a tool that helps you find the right repellant for you; you can find that tool here. Wear shoes, socks, long-sleeve shirts and pants when mosquitos are the most prevalent. Additionally, any clothing you wear should be lightly colored and made of tightly-woven material to keep mosquitos away from the skin. Any pant legs should be tucked into shoes or socks and collars should be buttoned. Make sure any windows and doors have screens that are in good repair. ⏩ The department encourages you to check things like bird baths, tires or other backyard toys and trim overgrown vegetation to discourage breeding. If you would like a free backyard inspection, you can call the Metro Public Health Department's Pest Management Team at 615-340-5660 to learn about places on your property where mosquitos could easily breed and multiply. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Health
- New York Times
Pestly Is a Better Essential Oil Bug Repellent (But We Still Don't Recommend It)
There is no question that Pestly represents a significant step forward for essential oil repellents. But does it go far enough to replace a picaridin- or DEET-based spray? We asked repellency researcher Laurence Zwiebel, a professor of biological science and pharmacology at Vanderbilt University, and he told us that, even with Pestly's advancements in mind, essential oil repellents 'to me, have not shown the level of robust, prolonged, durable repellency, full stop.' Another significant difference holding this newcomer back: Although Pestly has shown decent repellency against mosquitoes, it makes no claims against ticks. Considering the prevalence of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, we believe that this is a serious issue, and one we can't ignore. Both picaridin and DEET have proven repellency against those harmful little bugs. 'What I tell people is, if you want to go for a walk in the woods, you should bring some serious stuff,' Zwiebel told us when we asked him to share his general advice on using repellents. 'If you wanna just sit on your back deck, I would not put anything on and just stick a big-ass fan on the deck to blow at you, and you'll be more comfortable, and you won't have any insects bothering you.' If you don't like the idea of spraying picaridin or DEET on your skin, he suggests spraying it just on your clothing. He also likes permethrin-treated clothing: 'A barrier is always a better thing than a chemical, and a barrier treated with a chemical is the best,' he explained. When you talk to an expert like Zwiebel, or the many other researchers we've spoken to over our several years of reporting on this topic, you get the impression that taking any unnecessary risk, while knowing what is at stake, doesn't make sense. That's especially true considering that more effective repellents, like those containing picaridin and DEET, are so readily available. So although we appreciate what Pestly is doing and admire its willingness to set a new standard for essential oil repellents, we stand by our recommendation to use a repellent with a 20% concentration of picaridin or a 25% concentration of DEET. It will provide all-day protection against mosquitoes and ticks. But still, Pestly has provided a glimmer of hope for folks seeking an alternative, and it represents a solid step forward toward a repellent that we might someday recommend for general use. This article was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Harry Sawyers. We don't recommend using any essential-oil bug repellents. There's no way to know what kind of protection you're getting (if any) or how long it will last. Our repellent recommendations are EPA approved, backed by experts, and tested by us. Bug zappers kill the wrong bugs—to control bugs without a spray repellent, use a spatial repellent or a fan instead. These products create a bug-free barrier, and the best ones are long-lasting, effective, and easy to refill or recharge.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Cicadas attract pests, nearly invisible mites that bite and can cause a rash. What to know
The latest 17-year brood of cicadas is invading, bringing millions if not billions of the noisy insects to Cincinnati and southwest Ohio. While cicadas may be annoying — they're loud, they leave their nymph shells everywhere after molting and they may upset your pet's stomach if your dog gorges on them — the insects are harmless, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. They're even beneficial: They're a valuable food source for native wildlife, per ODNR, and the nymphs emerging from underground can help your lawn, according to The Nature Conservancy. However, cicadas can attract a pest, the oak leaf itch mite. And as the name suggests, these mites can cause an irritating rash in humans. Here's what to know. According to WebMD, these mites are nearly invisible to the naked eye, being about 0.2 mm long. They commonly feed on larvae of an oak gall midge, a type of fly, that lives on pin oak leaves. Starting in late July, these mites drop from the tree or are blown on the wind, landing on animals and humans. Their bites can cause an itchy rash of small red bumps that can be painful to scratch. The rashes can be intense. They're also known to feed on cicada eggs, per WebMD, and were linked to a 2007 outbreak of rashes in Chicago, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, where the mites were feeding on 17-year cicada eggs. In 2021, the University of Maryland Extension found it likely that Brood X cicada eggs were likely the mite's food source for an outbreak of rashes in the Washington D.C. area, as reported by the Washington Post. If you develop a rash, an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion as well as antihistamines may help with the itch, per WebMD. Don't scratch; that may cause a bacterial infection. Controlling the mites on the trees is difficult, according to the PennState Extension. Sprays aren't effective because the mites are protected and hidden in leaf folds or galls. The use of insect repellent containing DEET has shown mixed results. "People can best protect themselves by limiting their time from under infested trees and by immediately removing and laundering clothing and then showering," PennState Extension writes. After 17 years underground, Brood XIV is emerging, and it will bring millions if not billions of the noisy insects to Southwest Ohio and a dozen other states this spring. Brood XIV is one of 15 recognized broods of periodical cicadas that emerge every 13 or 17 years, and one of four that appear in the Buckeye State, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. They emerge when the soil temperature reaches 64 degrees, which typically happens in the second half of May. Annual cicadas emerge worldwide each year, but periodical cicadas are found only in eastern North America. They live underground as nymphs for either 13 or 17 years before emerging above ground in massive numbers. Different populations of periodical cicadas are called 'broods' and are numbered with Roman numerals. Brood XIV cicadas will stretch from northern Georgia to Massachusetts. In Ohio, they will emerge in a more than dozen counties, per ODNR, mostly in Southwest Ohio: Adams Brown Butler Champaign Clermont Clinton Gallia Greene Hamilton Highland Jackson Lawrence Pike Ross Scioto Warren Washington They are active for three to four weeks as they focus on mating and reproduction, per ODNR. Male periodical cicadas produce a deafening chorus of calls to attract females. Once mated, female cicadas deposit their eggs into the branches of trees and shrubs. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cicadas invading Ohio in 2025 bring an itchy pest. Here's what to know
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Vigilance urged as Pacific dengue cases surge
A public health expert is urging anyone travelling to places with a current dengue fever outbreak to be vigilant and take sensible precautions - but stresses the chances of contracting the disease are low. On Friday the Cook Islands declared an outbreak of the viral infection, which is spread by mosquitoes, in Rarotonga. Outbreaks have also been declared in Samoa, Fiji and Tonga. Across the Tasman, this year has seen a cluster of cases in Townsville and Cairns in Queensland. Last month a 12-year-old boy died in Auckland after being medically evacuated from Samoa, with severe dengue fever. Dr Marc Shaw, a medical director at Worldwise Travellers Health Care and a professor in public health and tropical diseases at James Cook University in Townsville, said New Zealanders travelling to places with dengue fever outbreaks should take precautions to protect themselves against mosquito bites, but it was important to be pragmatic. "Yes, people are getting dengue fever, but considering the number of people that are travelling to these regions, we have to be pragmatic and think about our own circumstances. "[Just] because you're travelling to the region, it does not mean that you're going to get the disease. "We should just maintain vigilance and look to protect ourselves in the best ways we can, and having a holiday in these regions should not be avoided." Shaw said light-coloured clothes were best as mosquitoes were attracted to dark colours. "They also tend to be more attracted to perfumes and scents. "Two hours on either side of dusk and dawn is the time most mosquito bites occur. Mosquitoes also tend to be attracted a lot more to ankles and wrists." But the best form of protection was a high-strength mosquito repellent containing the active ingredient Diethyl-meta-toluamide or DEET, he said. "The dengue fever mosquito is quite a vicious mosquito and tends to be around at this particular time of the year. It's good to apply a repellent of around about 40 percent [strength] and that will give about eight to 10 hours of protection." Dengue fever was "probably the worst fever anyone could get", he added. "Unfortunately, it tends to cause a temperature, sweats, fevers, rashes, and it has a condition which is called breakbone fever, where you get the most painful and credibly painful joints around the elbows. In its most sinister form, it can cause bleeding." Most people recovered from dengue fever, but those who caught the disease again were much more vulnerable to it, he added. "Under those circumstances, it is worthwhile discussing with a travel health physician as it is perhaps appropriate that they have a dengue fever vaccine, which is just out." Shaw said the virus would start to wane in the affected regions from now on as the Pacific region and Queensland headed into the drier winter months.
Scoop
6 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
Pacific Dengue Cases Surge, But Don't Cancel Your Holiday Yet
Dr Marc Shaw advises travellers to use insect repellent and light clothing, warning that although dengue fever is serious, it is largely preventable.A public health expert is urging anyone travelling to places with a current dengue fever outbreak to be vigilant and take sensible precautions – but stresses the chances of contracting the disease are low. On Friday the Cook Islands declared an outbreak of the viral infection, which is spread by mosquitoes, in Rarotonga. Outbreaks have also been declared in Samoa, Fiji and Tonga. Across the Tasman, this year has seen a cluster of cases in Townsville and Cairns in Queensland. Last month a 12-year-old boy died in Auckland after being medically evacuated from Samoa, with severe dengue fever. Dr Marc Shaw, a medical director at Worldwise Travellers Health Care and a professor in public health and tropical diseases at James Cook University in Townsville, said New Zealanders travelling to places with dengue fever outbreaks should take precautions to protect themselves against mosquito bites but it was important to be pragmatic. 'Yes, people are getting dengue fever, but considering the number of people that are travelling to these regions, we have to be pragmatic and think about our own circumstances. '[Just] because you're travelling to the region, it does not mean that you're going to get the disease. 'We should just maintain vigilance and look to protect ourselves in the best ways we can, and having a holiday in these regions should not be avoided.' Shaw said light-coloured clothes were best as mosquitoes were attracted to dark colours. 'They also tend to be more attracted to perfumes and scents. 'Two hours on either side of dusk and dawn is the time most mosquito bites occur. Mosquitoes also tend to be attracted a lot more to ankles and wrists.' But the best form of protection was a high-strength mosquito repellent containing the active ingredient Diethyl-meta-toluamide or DEET, he said. 'The dengue fever mosquito is quite a vicious mosquito and tends to be around at this particular time of the year. It's good to apply a repellent of around about 40 percent [strength] and that will give about eight to 10 hours of protection.' Dengue fever was 'probably the worst fever anyone could get', he added. 'Unfortunately, it tends to cause a temperature, sweats, fevers, rashes, and it has a condition which is called breakbone fever, where you get the most painful and credibly painful joints around the elbows. In its most sinister form, it can cause bleeding.' Most people recovered from dengue fever, but those who caught the disease again were much more vulnerable to it, he added. 'Under those circumstances, it is worthwhile discussing with a travel health physician as it is perhaps appropriate that they have a dengue fever vaccine, which is just out.' Shaw said the virus would start to wane in the affected regions from now on as the Pacific region and Queensland head into the drier winter months.
