Latest news with #disease
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Mosquitoes bite! 5 tips for making yourself less attractive to them
EDITOR'S NOTE: The podcast Chasing Life With Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores the medical science behind some of life's mysteries big and small. You can listen to episodes here. (CNN) — For summertime beachgoers, the threat of sharks may loom large, but nature's deadliest predator is actually much smaller. The tiny mosquito is not only a warm-weather nuisance but also wears the crown for 'No. 1 killer of humanity across our existence,' according to historian Dr. Timothy C. Winegard. The predatory insect takes more than 1 million lives each year by transmitting lethal diseases. Sharks, meanwhile, are estimated to have a kill streak orders of magnitude smaller, at fewer than 10 people per year. Where humans go, mosquitoes have followed. Their itchy bites and the disease-causing pathogens they carry are infamous, and the insects are also responsible for driving many of humanity's most essential turning points throughout history, said Winegard, author of 'The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator.' 'Malaria and yellow fever (have shaped) our historical journey from our hominid ancestral evolution … right to present day,' Winegard told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta recently on his podcast, Chasing Life. Winegard, an associate professor of history at Colorado Mesa University, got the initial idea for his best-selling book from his dad's interest in malaria. The wee pest didn't intrigue Winegard too much at first. 'I kind of disparaged him and said, 'Sure, dad, I'll write a book on mosquitoes,'' he recalled. But once Winegard began going down the rabbit hole of mosquito-borne pathogens' impact on humanity — including, but not limited to malaria, Zika virus, dengue fever, yellow fever, chikungunya and West Nile virus — he couldn't stop. The mosquito's impact on history is still deeply felt in the present. More than half a million people die of malaria alone each year, and disease-heavy regions have suffered financially as a result. 'Northern Hemisphere countries don't have endemic malaria, (so) they're able to develop more affluent economies because they're not continuously suffering from malaria,' Winegard said. You can listen to the full episode here. Humans have been battling mosquitoes for millennia, and amid the season's summer peak in the Northern Hemisphere, Winegard offered some insight into how you can keep them away this summer. 'Eighty-five percent of what makes you alluring or less alluring to mosquitoes is prewired in your genetic circuit board,' according to Winegard. However, there are a few ways you can manage mosquitoes. He has these five tips. Steer clear of the booze Booze makes it easier for mosquitoes to see you, Winegard said. Mosquitoes hunt by sight, but they don't see the world like people do. The predatory insects employ thermal, or infrared, vision. 'They see heat signatures,' Winegard noted. 'Consuming alcohol raises your body temperature,' he explained over email, 'which make(s) you an identifiable heat signature for your soon-to-be tormentor.' So, maybe reach for a refreshing glass of water or lemonade instead of that beer. Play it cool In addition to using heat-based vision, mosquitoes hunt down humans primarily through smell. Winegard said mosquitoes 'can smell carbon dioxide from over 200 feet (60 meters) away.' 'So if you're exercising or breathing heavily, they'll smell that and be attracted to it,' Winegard told Gupta. And just like alcohol, high CO2 emissions make detecting heat signatures easier for mosquitoes, so Winegard recommends keeping yourself as cool as possible. This applies to your wardrobe, too. 'Dark clothes retain relatively more heat,' he said, so it's best to opt for lighter-colored, long-sleeved attire to keep mosquitoes at bay. Build a strong suit of armor Applying insect repellent is the gold standard for mosquito management, but if you're not careful when applying it, you can leave yourself vulnerable to bites. 'I know people who lather themselves in it, but they miss this little spot on the back of their calf and she'll find the chink in our armor,' Winegard told Gupta, referring to the female mosquito, who is the bloodsucking hunter. Mosquito repellent isn't like perfume, in which a few spritzes can cover your whole body. If you're spraying, make sure to be thorough. 'DEET (a chemical repellent) is still the gold standard, while oil of lemon eucalyptus is a plant-derived option,' Winegard said. For an added boost of security, he noted some clothes come pretreated with a mosquito-targeted insecticide called permethrin. Watch the water! Pool days and cool drinks outdoors offer a respite from the heat for humans, but they are equally as attractive to mosquitoes. Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in still water — and they don't need much. 'From a pond or stream to a minuscule collection in the bottom of an old container, used tire, or backyard toy — even a bottle cap full — any will suffice,' Winegard said via email. Even waterlogged soil is enough for mom-to-be mosquitoes to lay their eggs in, he added. Winegard recommended eliminating standing water around your home and yard to keep potential mosquito breeding grounds to a minimum. Bring on the bacteria (but consider a foot bath) Another way to fight the swarms this summer is to consider skipping a shower or two. 'It's better to be stinky!' Winegard said. 'Being pungently rancid is a good thing, for it increases bacterial levels on the skin, which makes you less alluring to mosquitoes.' While this may offend others, Winegard says to skip the scented products: Deodorants, soaps and other applied fragrances are all enticing to mosquitoes. The one exception is your feet. 'Clean your feet,' he told Gupta. 'The bacteria on our feet, which is the same one that ripens a lot of cheeses, is an aphrodisiac to mosquitoes.' Winegard noted that this is the reason many of us get bitten around our ankles and feet. 'So, wash your feet!' he urged. Check your blood type Mosquitoes don't care about most personal characteristics you can objectively see. 'There is absolutely no truth to the persistent myths that mosquitoes fancy females over males, that they prefer blondes and redheads over those with darker hair, or that the darker or more leathery your skin, the safer you are from her bite,' Winegard said. But he noted that 'she does play favorites and feasts on some more than others.' What might entice a mosquito? 'Blood type O seems to be the vintage of choice over types A and B or their blend,' he said. 'People with blood type O get bitten twice as often as those with type A, with type B falling somewhere in between.' The creators of the 1998 movie 'A Bug's Life,' he noted, must have 'done their homework when portraying a tipsy mosquito ordering a 'Bloody Mary, O-positive.'' Maybe it's a mosquito's world, Winegard suggests, and people are just living in it. We hope these five tips help you keep mosquitoes at bay. Listen to the full episode here. And join us next week for a new episode of the Chasing Life podcast.
CNN
7 hours ago
- Health
- CNN
Mosquitoes bite! 5 tips for making yourself less attractive to them
Animal storiesFacebookTweetLink Follow EDITOR'S NOTE: The podcast Chasing Life With Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores the medical science behind some of life's mysteries big and small. You can listen to episodes here. (CNN) — For summertime beachgoers, the threat of sharks may loom large, but nature's deadliest predator is actually much smaller. The tiny mosquito is not only a warm-weather nuisance but also wears the crown for 'No. 1 killer of humanity across our existence,' according to historian Dr. Timothy C. Winegard. The predatory insect takes more than 1 million lives each year by transmitting lethal diseases. Sharks, meanwhile, are estimated to have a kill streak orders of magnitude smaller, at fewer than 10 people per year. Where humans go, mosquitoes have followed. Their itchy bites and the disease-causing pathogens they carry are infamous, and the insects are also responsible for driving many of humanity's most essential turning points throughout history, said Winegard, author of 'The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator.' 'Malaria and yellow fever (have shaped) our historical journey from our hominid ancestral evolution … right to present day,' Winegard told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta recently on his podcast, Chasing Life. Winegard, an associate professor of history at Colorado Mesa University, got the initial idea for his best-selling book from his dad's interest in malaria. The wee pest didn't intrigue Winegard too much at first. 'I kind of disparaged him and said, 'Sure, dad, I'll write a book on mosquitoes,'' he recalled. But once Winegard began going down the rabbit hole of mosquito-borne pathogens' impact on humanity — including, but not limited to malaria, Zika virus, dengue fever, yellow fever, chikungunya and West Nile virus — he couldn't stop. The mosquito's impact on history is still deeply felt in the present. More than half a million people die of malaria alone each year, and disease-heavy regions have suffered financially as a result. 'Northern Hemisphere countries don't have endemic malaria, (so) they're able to develop more affluent economies because they're not continuously suffering from malaria,' Winegard said. You can listen to the full episode here. Humans have been battling mosquitoes for millennia, and amid the season's summer peak in the Northern Hemisphere, Winegard offered some insight into how you can keep them away this summer. 'Eighty-five percent of what makes you alluring or less alluring to mosquitoes is prewired in your genetic circuit board,' according to Winegard. However, there are a few ways you can manage mosquitoes. He has these five tips. Booze makes it easier for mosquitoes to see you, Winegard said. Mosquitoes hunt by sight, but they don't see the world like people do. The predatory insects employ thermal, or infrared, vision. 'They see heat signatures,' Winegard noted. 'Consuming alcohol raises your body temperature,' he explained over email, 'which make(s) you an identifiable heat signature for your soon-to-be tormentor.' So, maybe reach for a refreshing glass of water or lemonade instead of that beer. In addition to using heat-based vision, mosquitoes hunt down humans primarily through smell. Winegard said mosquitoes 'can smell carbon dioxide from over 200 feet (60 meters) away.' 'So if you're exercising or breathing heavily, they'll smell that and be attracted to it,' Winegard told Gupta. And just like alcohol, high CO2 emissions make detecting heat signatures easier for mosquitoes, so Winegard recommends keeping yourself as cool as possible. This applies to your wardrobe, too. 'Dark clothes retain relatively more heat,' he said, so it's best to opt for lighter-colored, long-sleeved attire to keep mosquitoes at bay. Applying insect repellent is the gold standard for mosquito management, but if you're not careful when applying it, you can leave yourself vulnerable to bites. 'I know people who lather themselves in it, but they miss this little spot on the back of their calf and she'll find the chink in our armor,' Winegard told Gupta, referring to the female mosquito, who is the bloodsucking hunter. Mosquito repellent isn't like perfume, in which a few spritzes can cover your whole body. If you're spraying, make sure to be thorough. 'DEET (a chemical repellent) is still the gold standard, while oil of lemon eucalyptus is a plant-derived option,' Winegard said. For an added boost of security, he noted some clothes come pretreated with a mosquito-targeted insecticide called permethrin. Pool days and cool drinks outdoors offer a respite from the heat for humans, but they are equally as attractive to mosquitoes. Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in still water — and they don't need much. 'From a pond or stream to a minuscule collection in the bottom of an old container, used tire, or backyard toy — even a bottle cap full — any will suffice,' Winegard said via email. Even waterlogged soil is enough for mom-to-be mosquitoes to lay their eggs in, he added. Winegard recommended eliminating standing water around your home and yard to keep potential mosquito breeding grounds to a minimum. Another way to fight the swarms this summer is to consider skipping a shower or two. 'It's better to be stinky!' Winegard said. 'Being pungently rancid is a good thing, for it increases bacterial levels on the skin, which makes you less alluring to mosquitoes.' While this may offend others, Winegard says to skip the scented products: Deodorants, soaps and other applied fragrances are all enticing to mosquitoes. The one exception is your feet. 'Clean your feet,' he told Gupta. 'The bacteria on our feet, which is the same one that ripens a lot of cheeses, is an aphrodisiac to mosquitoes.' Winegard noted that this is the reason many of us get bitten around our ankles and feet. 'So, wash your feet!' he urged. Mosquitoes don't care about most personal characteristics you can objectively see. 'There is absolutely no truth to the persistent myths that mosquitoes fancy females over males, that they prefer blondes and redheads over those with darker hair, or that the darker or more leathery your skin, the safer you are from her bite,' Winegard said. But he noted that 'she does play favorites and feasts on some more than others.' What might entice a mosquito? 'Blood type O seems to be the vintage of choice over types A and B or their blend,' he said. 'People with blood type O get bitten twice as often as those with type A, with type B falling somewhere in between.' The creators of the 1998 movie 'A Bug's Life,' he noted, must have 'done their homework when portraying a tipsy mosquito ordering a 'Bloody Mary, O-positive.'' Maybe it's a mosquito's world, Winegard suggests, and people are just living in it. We hope these five tips help you keep mosquitoes at bay. Listen to the full episode here. And join us next week for a new episode of the Chasing Life podcast.
CNN
8 hours ago
- Health
- CNN
Mosquitoes bite! 5 tips for making yourself less attractive to them
EDITOR'S NOTE: The podcast Chasing Life With Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores the medical science behind some of life's mysteries big and small. You can listen to episodes here. (CNN) — For summertime beachgoers, the threat of sharks may loom large, but nature's deadliest predator is actually much smaller. The tiny mosquito is not only a warm-weather nuisance but also wears the crown for 'No. 1 killer of humanity across our existence,' according to historian Dr. Timothy C. Winegard. The predatory insect takes more than 1 million lives each year by transmitting lethal diseases. Sharks, meanwhile, are estimated to have a kill streak orders of magnitude smaller, at fewer than 10 people per year. Where humans go, mosquitoes have followed. Their itchy bites and the disease-causing pathogens they carry are infamous, and the insects are also responsible for driving many of humanity's most essential turning points throughout history, said Winegard, author of 'The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator.' 'Malaria and yellow fever (have shaped) our historical journey from our hominid ancestral evolution … right to present day,' Winegard told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta recently on his podcast, Chasing Life. Winegard, an associate professor of history at Colorado Mesa University, got the initial idea for his best-selling book from his dad's interest in malaria. The wee pest didn't intrigue Winegard too much at first. 'I kind of disparaged him and said, 'Sure, dad, I'll write a book on mosquitoes,'' he recalled. But once Winegard began going down the rabbit hole of mosquito-borne pathogens' impact on humanity — including, but not limited to malaria, Zika virus, dengue fever, yellow fever, chikungunya and West Nile virus — he couldn't stop. The mosquito's impact on history is still deeply felt in the present. More than half a million people die of malaria alone each year, and disease-heavy regions have suffered financially as a result. 'Northern Hemisphere countries don't have endemic malaria, (so) they're able to develop more affluent economies because they're not continuously suffering from malaria,' Winegard said. You can listen to the full episode here. Humans have been battling mosquitoes for millennia, and amid the season's summer peak in the Northern Hemisphere, Winegard offered some insight into how you can keep them away this summer. 'Eighty-five percent of what makes you alluring or less alluring to mosquitoes is prewired in your genetic circuit board,' according to Winegard. However, there are a few ways you can manage mosquitoes. He has these five tips. Booze makes it easier for mosquitoes to see you, Winegard said. Mosquitoes hunt by sight, but they don't see the world like people do. The predatory insects employ thermal, or infrared, vision. 'They see heat signatures,' Winegard noted. 'Consuming alcohol raises your body temperature,' he explained over email, 'which make(s) you an identifiable heat signature for your soon-to-be tormentor.' So, maybe reach for a refreshing glass of water or lemonade instead of that beer. In addition to using heat-based vision, mosquitoes hunt down humans primarily through smell. Winegard said mosquitoes 'can smell carbon dioxide from over 200 feet (60 meters) away.' 'So if you're exercising or breathing heavily, they'll smell that and be attracted to it,' Winegard told Gupta. And just like alcohol, high CO2 emissions make detecting heat signatures easier for mosquitoes, so Winegard recommends keeping yourself as cool as possible. This applies to your wardrobe, too. 'Dark clothes retain relatively more heat,' he said, so it's best to opt for lighter-colored, long-sleeved attire to keep mosquitoes at bay. Applying insect repellent is the gold standard for mosquito management, but if you're not careful when applying it, you can leave yourself vulnerable to bites. 'I know people who lather themselves in it, but they miss this little spot on the back of their calf and she'll find the chink in our armor,' Winegard told Gupta, referring to the female mosquito, who is the bloodsucking hunter. Mosquito repellent isn't like perfume, in which a few spritzes can cover your whole body. If you're spraying, make sure to be thorough. 'DEET (a chemical repellent) is still the gold standard, while oil of lemon eucalyptus is a plant-derived option,' Winegard said. For an added boost of security, he noted some clothes come pretreated with a mosquito-targeted insecticide called permethrin. Pool days and cool drinks outdoors offer a respite from the heat for humans, but they are equally as attractive to mosquitoes. Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in still water — and they don't need much. 'From a pond or stream to a minuscule collection in the bottom of an old container, used tire, or backyard toy — even a bottle cap full — any will suffice,' Winegard said via email. Even waterlogged soil is enough for mom-to-be mosquitoes to lay their eggs in, he added. Winegard recommended eliminating standing water around your home and yard to keep potential mosquito breeding grounds to a minimum. Another way to fight the swarms this summer is to consider skipping a shower or two. 'It's better to be stinky!' Winegard said. 'Being pungently rancid is a good thing, for it increases bacterial levels on the skin, which makes you less alluring to mosquitoes.' While this may offend others, Winegard says to skip the scented products: Deodorants, soaps and other applied fragrances are all enticing to mosquitoes. The one exception is your feet. 'Clean your feet,' he told Gupta. 'The bacteria on our feet, which is the same one that ripens a lot of cheeses, is an aphrodisiac to mosquitoes.' Winegard noted that this is the reason many of us get bitten around our ankles and feet. 'So, wash your feet!' he urged. Mosquitoes don't care about most personal characteristics you can objectively see. 'There is absolutely no truth to the persistent myths that mosquitoes fancy females over males, that they prefer blondes and redheads over those with darker hair, or that the darker or more leathery your skin, the safer you are from her bite,' Winegard said. But he noted that 'she does play favorites and feasts on some more than others.' What might entice a mosquito? 'Blood type O seems to be the vintage of choice over types A and B or their blend,' he said. 'People with blood type O get bitten twice as often as those with type A, with type B falling somewhere in between.' The creators of the 1998 movie 'A Bug's Life,' he noted, must have 'done their homework when portraying a tipsy mosquito ordering a 'Bloody Mary, O-positive.'' Maybe it's a mosquito's world, Winegard suggests, and people are just living in it. We hope these five tips help you keep mosquitoes at bay. Listen to the full episode here. And join us next week for a new episode of the Chasing Life podcast.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Why rabies is making a comeback this summer — and what you should know
Cases of rabies, a viral and potentially fatal disease that primarily spreads through the bites or scratches of infected animals, have recently been reported around the Northeast. This week, officials in the town of Westfield, New Jersey, issued a public health alert after two reports of bites associated with a raccoon that may be infected with rabies, put the surrounding communities on high alert. Last week, New York's Nassau County Department of Health declared an imminent public health threat in response to the ongoing spread of rabies among wild and feral-domesticated animals in the county. 'The resurgence of rabies in Nassau County, with its high population density and after nearly a decade of absence, represents a serious and evolving public health concern,' Nassau County Health Commissioner Dr. Irina Gelman said in a release. 'This declaration allows us to respond to prevent further spread and protect the health and safety of Nassau County residents.' The resurgence comes after the county had successfully eradicated the virus since 2016. Over the last year, the department has confirmed 25 rabid animals, including raccoons and feral cats. The department noted that surveillance data shows that the virus is circulating in the area. "Let me be clear, there is no cause for alarm, as we have not yet received any reports of human transmission,' Gelman said, according People. 'However, the time for prevention is now." The declaration comes as health authorities in nearby Suffolk County reported two cases of rabies — the first since 2009. But, whether or not an uptick in new cases indicate that rabies is becoming more prevalent in the region is unclear right now. The summer season has something to do with it, Stony Brook Children's Hospital Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases Division Dr. Sharon Nachman told News 12 Long Island. "It is a question of where you are and what the season is, and certainly the summertime is always associated with more bites and more worries about rabies," she said. A large number of cases has also been reported in Queens. Around 4,000 animal rabies cases are reported each year. The animals most frequently found with rabies in the U.S. are bats, skunks, raccoons, and foxes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Outside of the Northeast, there has been a rise in cases linked to bats, resulting in three rabies deaths in a period of just five weeks a couple of years ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2021, five Americans died of rabies, the largest number in a decade. Human-caused climate change has resulted in the expansion of vampire bats' habitat, and increased the risk of rabies in domestic animals, according to scientists. This week, Denver Animal Protection warned that the public should be cautious after two bats tested positive for the rabies virus, 9 News reported. Still, fewer than 10 people in the U.S. die from rabies each year. That's thanks to post-exposure care and the rabies vaccine. Nearly 100,000 people are vaccinated following a possible exposure each year. Treatment is nearly 100 percent effective if you get it after an exposure. Initial rabies symptoms are similar to the flu, including fever, headache, and muscle aches. They can progress to neurological and physical symptoms, such as delirium, a fear of water, and seizures. To prevent the risk of infection, there are several steps people can take. Make sure pets are up to date with their vaccines, stay away from wildlife, call animal control to remove stray animals from the neighborhoods, and wash any bites or scratches immediately with soap and water after possible exposures before seeking medical attention. 'Rabies is preventable through vaccination and pet owners should remember that the best protection is to vaccinate for rabies and license all pets with the town,' Westfield officials said.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
Health officials alarmed by unprecedented July spike in West Nile-infected mosquitoes in 2 major cities
Mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus have reached one of the highest numbers ever recorded in Minnesota during the month of July, and authorities caution citizens to stay inside at dusk and dawn. The blood-sucking bugs in all seven counties of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area tested positive for the disease, according to the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD). MMCD ecologists processed nearly 200 mosquito pools and found Culex tarsalis mosquitoes, the species most blamed for spreading the West Nile virus, were "active in some of the highest numbers" ever recorded, according to FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul. Of 133 pools tested, 34 tested positive for the virus, showing a rate of more than 25% positivity, MMCD reported. The rate is one of the highest recorded in the month of July, more in line with numbers seen in late August, when mosquito populations wind down. Positive West Nile virus samples were also found in mosquitoes in other states, including Georgia, where they were confirmed in three different areas of Atlanta. Though the city is working on coordinating insect control, officials asked residents near affected areas to protect themselves from bites and eliminate standing water to prevent mosquito breeding. The West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne disease that can cause encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, according to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Originating between mosquitoes and birds in Africa and Europe, the virus spread to the U.S. in 1999 when an outbreak in New York sent nearly 60 people to the hospital over two months. Most of the patients had clinical signs of brain swelling, and seven patients died, according to a report from the National Institutes of Health. While the disease can be more detrimental to older patients and those with muscle weakness, MDH officials said most people bitten by infected mosquitoes experience either mild symptoms or none at all.
