We believe we understand that almost all of us have been bitten by the fateful tiger mosquito, also called Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus. Is making the news for be a potential carrier of vector diseases, among them and the most common are the chikungunya, dengue and zika.
This insect is easy to identify because it is of black coloring, with white stripes on its legs and abdomen and a single elongated stripe in the center of the thorax, has 6 legs and 2 wings and is approximately 5 to 10 mm in size.
Breeds in hot weather as it comes from tropical areas and its reproduction usually proliferates in general when the summer rainy season has passed and the heat begins, which is from May. Hence we have their imminent summer invasion.
Should we fear it?
Surely yes, since the type of disease it transmits is disabling or in its case better said contagious.
It is a transmitter, due to its bite, of 22 diseases Among them are those already mentioned and their symptoms are similar to the flu: fever, joint pain, headaches and skin rashes. Therefore, in risk areas where a large invasion of this mosquito has been mentioned protection must be essential.
If you are a victim of bites, you should be especially attentive in the case of pregnant women, babies and young children, since embryos can be seriously damaged in case of transmission and newborns are much more vulnerable to this type of disease, which can cause infant deaths.
Why do these insects bite?
It is the females who They feed on blood in order to grow their eggs. They detect the currents of CO2 that we emit through our breath and our body and that is why they have more preference in stinging some more than others, depending on the amount of this gas. It generally stings adults more than children.
Their bites can become annoying and painful and they can cause allergic skin reactions. The symptom that is produced by the reaction to the poison it is a lump that is painful, very itchy (itchy), and stinging. But extreme cases have occurred in which their allergic reaction is much more severe, where the patient presents bronchospasm and reaction anaphylactic, which if not treated in time, can cause the death of the patient by anaphylactic asphyxia.
For the rest of common bites we can relieve your symptoms with topical corticosteroids, oral pain relievers in case of a lot of pain, or use home remedies such as the application of ice water compresses, cold gel or ice pack to reduce inflammation
What remedies can we use to protect the little ones?
Keep in mind that they attack at night, although there are areas where they tend to do it during the day.
If we are in an outdoor area where it is not very hot, we can make use of long-sleeved shirts and shirts, long pants and, of course, socks.
If, on the contrary, the area is quite hot, we must put our hands synthetic repellants. The most famous is the DEET and the most commercialized. The use is recommended for children older than 2 months with a concentration of 10% to 30%. In children under 2 months it is inadvisable.
Its use should be used with some caution because you should not let a child apply the repellent to himself, they would put it in their hands that they can later take them to the mouth and the eyes. Ideally, apply it in your own hands and apply it to the child or in the format that the spray product already uses. It is much better also to put it on your clothes to have the least contact with the skin. It is also important to exercise caution with do not apply it on open wounds and mucous membranes.
As home remedies we can make use of them but their effectiveness here can be much lower.
Among them is the lemon with the cloves, the cooked eucalyptus leaves and use of lavender-based lotions or oils o citronella essence candles. Other plants that can work are basil and chamomile, the oil of sweet almonds and geranium