Local doctors create Zika Prevention Kit
JULY 20, 2016 at 1:24 p.m.

Health officials predict the Zika virus will hit the U.S. and that has local families worried about spending time outside this summer. To ease fears, local doctors with American Family Care have put together a Zika Prevention Kit folks can use to protect themselves from mosquitoes this summer.

American Family Care Zika Prevention Kit:

BUG SPRAY: Use EPA registered insect repellents with one of these ingredients: DEET, picaridin or oil of eucalyptus.
CLOTHING PROTECTION: Consumer Reports found “treating” your clothing is more effective than buying mosquito repellent clothing. Just spray clothing with permethrin that kills mosquitoes on contact, with no harmful side effects. You should treat shirts, pants and socks at least 24 hours before wearing outdoors. Permethrin is a medicine and chemical used as an insect repellent and it is sold at local drug stores.
YELLOW “BUG LIGHT”: A yellow outdoor bulb does not repel the bugs, but the American Mosquito Control Association says it will not attract them like some other incandescent lights.
DISENFECTANT WIPES: Keep a package of wet, disinfectant wipes handy, in case you sweat while hiking, exercising or doing yardwork. Your body produces lactic acid as you exercise and mosquitoes cannot resist it. You should clean your skin off before reapplying bug spray will help detour bugs.
Physicians with American Family Care, the nation's leading provider of urgent care with more than 160 locations across the country and clinics in our area, have also identified four scenarios that can really turn you into a magnet for mosquito bites.


What Makes You a Mosquito Magnet?

Baby on Board: A study published in the British Medical Journal found women who are pregnant exhale more carbon monoxide, which attracts mosquitoes.
Breaking A Sweat: Mosquitoes find lactic acid irresistible. Your body produces lactic acid anytime you break a sweat. Athletes can reduce lactic acid by washing with soap and thoroughly drying their skin after exercising.
“O” No!: A study in the Journal of Medical Entomology found people with type O blood were 83% more likely to get bitten by a mosquito. People with Type A were at the lowest risk.
Bottoms Up: Drinking a cold beer on a balmy afternoon could make you a hot target. Research published by the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association suggests alcohol may raise your body temperature a little, making you more appealing to mosquitoes.

For more information on American Family Care, visit www.americanfamilycare.com.

Published July 20, 2016