How To Prevent Zika Virus

Do you like mosquitoes? Do you like being bitten? Do you like getting infected with diseases spread by the aedes aegypti mosquito? Well, i am sure that your answer to all three questions are no. But just not like being bitten by the mosquito does not prevent you from being bitten. You will have to do a little bit more than that, you will have to be proactive and prevent yourself from being bitten and becoming infected.

 

Why You Don't Want The Aedes Aegypti Mosquito To Bite You

Well, the aedes aegypti mosquito is a host to a platoon of viruses. Lets take a brief look at some of the nasty and deadly viruses spread by this tiny nuisance.

Dengue Fever
The aedes aegypti mosquito is a known carrier of the virus which causes dengue fever. Persons who have this virus will emit the following symptoms:Sudden Fever, Painful Rashes, Joint and Muscle pains and swollen Lymph Nodes. So far, over 21000 people have died from dengue. These numbers include men, women and children. The fever will last in the body for at least 2 to 7 days.

Yellow Fever
This nasty infection is no walk in the park. The Yellow fever can be caught if a person gets bitten by a aedes Mosquito carrying the virus. People who become infected emit the following Symptoms: High fever, vomiting, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains particularly in the back and of course headaches. Yellow fever still wreaks havoc in human population as it kills over 30000 people every year.
Zika Virus

• If you are bitten by a aedes aegypti Mosquito, you can become infected with the dangerous Zika Virus. The Zika virus has the basic symptoms as other mosquito viruses. You will experience fever, headaches, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pains and rashes. The virus will run in your system for at least 2 to 7 days. But what makes the Zika virus even more dangerous are two reasons:

It Brings Microcephaly
If a pregnant mother or a woman is infected with the Zika virus and becomes pregnant. It is of high chance that the baby will develop a condition called microcephaly. This is where the baby's brain is underdeveloped which lead to a smaller head growth than regular babies. By not having a fully developed brain, you can expect the child to be born with certain deficiencies. Deficiencies such as intellectualism, mobility and cognition.

It Brings Guillain-Barre Syndrome
This disease is a rare disorder in which your body's immune system will launch an attack on your nerves, and that can never lead to anything good. The severity of this disease is that your nerves may shut down and even paralyze your entire body. What is also frightening is that even after regular care and treatment, this disease can exist in your body for years.

Chikungunya
So when you have gone through both yellow and dengue fever here comes the Chikungunya Virus. People who are infected with Chikungunya will have the following symptoms fever, myalgia, rash and Joint pains which can often last for months in some people. What this means is that the virus can play light bulb with your body. It can exits within your bloodstream and trigger the symptoms at will. So Chik V will have long term effects on many people. Especially those who already suffer from arthritis.

Tips To Prevent Zika Virus

1. Use a mosquito Repellent

• Mosquito repellents does exactly what it is called. It repels mosquito from pitching on your skin. if no mosquito bites you, chances are you will not be infected with the Zika virus. Spray the repellent on any areas that will be exposed such as neck, face, arm and legs. Some people will even spray the clothes they wear with the repellent. This is practical if you wear thin clingy clothes because mosquitoes can bite through them.

2. Cover Yourself Properly

• The worst thing to do is go out in a mosquito infested area with skimpy or inadequate clothing. The aedes aegypti mosquito will target areas that you may not notice such as ankles, back of your arms and legs. Where long pants and long sleeve shirts will help to prevent you from being bit by the mosquito.

3. Get rid of Stagnant Water

• Mosquito breed in water and can breed hundreds of mosquito in as little as one cup of water. Don't leave old tires and other material capable of hoarding water around. Dispose of those old tires properly and punch holes into containers that you will nor use to store water. Fill flowers pot with fresh water daily. If you have open containers that you need to catch water for other purpose than drinking, you can tip a little oil in the water, just enough for it to form a barrier on the surface to prevent the mosquito larvae from breathing.

4. Use An Insect Mesh Over Your Bed

• One thing you need to do especially if you have children at home, especially a new born baby is to use a mosquito mesh to cover the bed to prevent mosquitoes from draining your blood when you are asleep. This is very important to do because when you are asleep you become more vulnerable to mosquito bites. Most people who use the repellent, before they go to bed will eventually wash off that repellent. So mosquitoes which somehow get inside your home will attack at nights when you are asleep. Some people actually spray themselves with repellent even before going to bed.

5. Keep Your Lawn Low And Surroundings Clean

• Mosquitoes love high grass areas as thy use this as cover to launch their blood sucking attacks. Mosquitoes will use bushy areas and high grass as places to sleep and hide during daytime. Cut high grass areas to prevent mosquitoes from using the area as a hoarding ground. You should also ensure that areas near you home do not hoard garbage that will allow mosquitoes to sleep and breed from. Always try and keep a clean and well maintained surrounding.

Underlining Medical Illness and Zika Virus

Many people have died after being infected with Mosquito Viruses such as Dengue fever, Yellow fever, Chikungunya and Zika Virus. Most of these people really did not die directly from the virus, but complications which developed because of other underlining illnesses. These viruses will attack the respiratory system and other areas inside the body. A person who probably has asthma may suffer more than a person with a good respiratory system. If you know you suffer from other diseases or illness other than that brought upon by the mosquito, it would be in your best interest to have a sterile mosquito zone and do the best to protect yourself from being bitten.