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Prevent Disease by Combating Biting Insects

While traveling in the United States may have its share of dangers, having an adventure in a foreign land is liable to cost you more than the airfare, especially if you are planning an eco adventure to the Amazon, braving the wilds of Africa for a safari or just exploring the countryside and villages of Vietnam. In fact, traveling to any region in developing or third world countries is liable to give you a souvenir that keeps on giving - in the form of disease.

Less developed countries do not have the facilities for sewage and water treatment plants. They also do not have immediate access to proper medical supplies and healthcare facilities. In addition, the local wildlife as well as the insects and arthropods carry many viruses, bacteria and parasites which can cause a wild variety of ailments and life-threatening diseases.

It is the insects and other bugs that you truly have to watch out for when you are traveling in foreign lands. You have to protect yourself from the diseases these critters could potentially cause should you sustain a bite from them. Some of the diseases you could attract include malaria, yellow fever, encephalitis and various forms of viral hemorrhagic fever like Ebola, Marburg and dengue fever. River blindness, Lassa fever, Trypanosomiasis, typhoid, Schistosomiasis, cholera and Chagas disease are a few more serious illnesses that harbor in these arthropods and other insects.

Preventative Measures Against Bites

Picaridin and DEET are two ingredients in insect repellents that can help repel fleas, flies, mosquitoes, ticks and other arthropods that look to your skin for their blood meal. Picaridin can be found in concentrations up to 15% are effective but require more frequent applications than the DEET based ones. In regards to the DEET, you can find concentrations up to 90%.

In regards to DEET, it is important to note that children under the age of two months should not have it applied on them as the formula is way to strong for them. In addition, you have to ensure that children do not have any of the repellent applied to their hands as they are known for placing them in their mouths and the DEET could make them ill. For babies, they should be in carriers and strollers encased in treated mosquito netting with elastic edging for a snug fit which allows no room for bugs to sneak in.

Be sure that you apply your sunscreen before you apply the insect repellent. Use the highest SPF possible as you may not be able to reapply it as often as the insect repellent. Also, wash the sunscreen and repellent away before retiring for the day.

Wear light colored clothing in long sleeves and pants and plan on wearing boots instead of open toed or regular shoes. The pants will need to be tucked into the boots and the shirt tucked into the pants to prevent as much skin as possible from being found by biting insects. The light colored clothing allows you to see ticks and other small insects so they can be removed.

For sleep areas, you will want to use mosquito netting treated in an insecticide called permethrin as it will repel insects. Tents, bedding, clothing, shoes and other gear can also be treated with the insecticide too. You will also want to avoid wandering around from dusk to dawn as many mosquitoes and other insect are the most active at that time. Finally, if possible, stay in screened areas or air conditioning when possible to keep away from biting bugs and insects. Following all the measures mentioned above can greatly reduce your chances of bringing home a disease souvenir of your adventure abroad.