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Mosquitoesand Mosquito-borne Diseases |
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Many hotels spray for mosquitoes and sea breezes may keep them off of the beaches, so they may not be a problem while at the hotel. On outings, you should be prepared in case there are mosquitoes. Mosquitoes may be found year-round on the Gulf Coast of Mexico.
The mosquitoes we encountered near the coast were small and did not appear to have a bad bite. However the following day our bites became vivid red with tiny scabs on the top. They looked as though we had been scratching them (we hadn't). We wore these bites for over three weeks.
Many repellants are not effective on these tropical mosquitoes. One that is effective is called Autan classic and is manufactured by Bayer de Mexico. I understand that it is only available in Mexico. It comes in a white aerosol can with an orange and yellow front with a mosquito on it. Another that gives good results is Deep Woods Off, which is 95% N,N-dithyl-meta-toluamide. It is available in the U.S. and you can find it at Wal Mart with the camping equipment.
Also effective are the mosquito coils that you burn. We were being eaten alive at an open-air restaurant when our waiter brought one of these over and placed it underneath our table. We had no more problems with mosquitoes and enjoyed our meal. You can also buy these in Mexico. There is one called Raidolitos by Johnson that comes in a yellow box.
Another reader reports being happy with a product called Skeeter Free. "I was in Puerto Escondido last summer August. I am a mosquito magnet and decided to try something besides DEET. We were working on a Habitat for Humanity build from dawn until mid afternoon, so gave the little buggers lots of opportunity. I would re-spray about every 3-4 hours and was using the 2X version. It has a pleasant odor and slightly oily base so stays on even sweating. Based on Catnip! - Donna"
A reader reports buying an ointment in Mexico called "Andantol" in a
yellow and black box to use on mosquito bites. This immediately
reduced the swelling and kept the itch away. We have tried this and it works
very well. Not for children under 6 years old. For a less toxic solution, there
is Crocodile Herbal Bug
Discouragent, an herbal bug repellant. The maker, Dancing Roots, has
given away samples to tomzap.com readers in the past and positive results have
been reported. S
If you've already been bitten, After Bite is a product that has been recommended for relief.
Some visitors have asked if Malaria is a problem. Although rarely a problem for tourists, it does exist and has been a problem for some residents. A period of heavy rains increases the likelihood of an outbreak. This would most likely be after the rains come around August-September. A type of malaria they have in Oaxaca is called Vivax and is rather easy to cure. Symptoms are typically fever, vomiting, sweats and chills that persist for days or weeks. Outbreaks may be rather localized since the mosquito's range is only a mile or two. If you are concerned about malaria, see your doctor prior to leaving for preventative medication. Also, use your mosquito repellant when necessary.
Visitors to the tropical coasts of Mexico who wish to donate blood after their trip can expect a cool "thanks, but no thanks" due to the risk of malaria contamination.
One of our readers contributes the following information on mosquito-borne diseases of the Oaxacan coast:
I have lived for over a year in the Puerto Angel area and have acquired quite a bit of information about the mosquito situation. Some of this information comes from the Comisión Nacional para la Erradicación de Paludismo (CNEP), some comes from the Centers for Disease Control and some comes from the Physician's Desk Reference.
Mosquitos are a constant nuisance on the Coast. There are many types
of mosquitos present; most are not the type that carry diseases. However, some
types of mosquitos carry the diseases malaria and dengue fever.
The risk of contracting these diseases is low although locally acquired cases of
malaria do occur on the Oaxaca Coast. Although cases do occur year-round, most
locally acquired cases of malaria occur during and after the rainy season (July
to December).
In
recent years the incidence of these diseases has become relatively low because
of the efforts of Mexican public health authorities. These efforts include the
spraying of the walls and ceilings of all homes, hotel rooms, restaurant and
other businesses and buses with insecticides from the DDT and malathion
families. After biting a person a mosquito will always rest on the nearest wall.
The mosquito ingests a trace amount of the insecticide and dies before it can
bite another person and spread disease. This strategy has proved extremely
effective and is employed in tropical areas throughout the world. The only
adverse effect is that asthma sufferers may have a reaction to the insecticides.
Many asthmatics have reported wheezing episodes and difficulty breathing while
spending time in insecticide-treated rooms in the Mexican tropics. Asthma
sufferers would do well to carry their inhalers and look for hotel rooms with
plenty of fresh air.
There are many ways to avoid being bitten by mosquitos.
The United States Centers for Disease Control states that the most effective
method of preventing mosquito-borne diseases is to avoid being bitten by
mosquitos. Use a
topical mosquito repellent containing DEET such as Bayer Autan. Bayer
Autan is widely available in Mexican pharmacies. Avoid putting DEET on your face
and wash your hands after applying it to your skin. Do not get DEET in your
eyes. Use mosquito
coils. These coils burn like incense and contain chemicals that repel mosquitos.
They are sold in stores in Mexico under the name Raid-O-Litos. More natural remedies include
taking garlic pills and Vitamin B-2 (Riboflavin). They give a scent to your
blood and sweat that will repel mosquitos. Apply citronella oil to your exposed
skin, although citronella should be re-applied every 30 minutes and will have to
be brought from the United States or bought in a large Mexican city. Citronella
candles are also available in the United States and it may be possible to find
them in large Mexican cities. Wear long pants and long sleeved cotton shirts if possible. Mosquito
bed nets (mosquiteros in Spanish) are available in Mexican markets and
stores. Nylon nets are more effective and more durable than cotton nets. Tucking
your mosquito bed net under your mattress provides protection against scorpions
and spiders as well.
Malaria
The mosquitos that carry malaria are active primarily from dusk to dawn.
Their numbers are greatest in the early evening hours. These mosquitos carry the
P. vivax strain of malaria. P. vivax is a relatively benign infection. Symptoms of an acute malaria
attack include a high fever that comes on suddenly and then spikes upward and
flu-like aches. An acute malaria attack can occur any time within a year after
being bit by a malaria-carrying mosquito. There is no cure for malaria, but the
P. vivax strain can be effectively suppressed by the medication Aralen (generic
name: chloroquine phosphate). Aralen rapidly terminates acute malaria attacks
although the P. vivax organism will continue to lie dormant in the body
indefinitely. The
Physician's Desk Reference states that taking Aralen
prophylactically (usually a dose of 500 mg on the same day each week) does not
prevent malaria infection, but it may suppress the symptoms. If you are bitten
by a P. vivax carrying mosquito while taking Aralen on a weekly basis, the P.
vivax organism will still infect you and lie dormant in your body indefinitely.
However you may not experience acute symptoms of malaria infection. Aralen should be taken under
medical supervision. It is usually dispensed in 500 mg tablets. The
Physician's Desk Reference (PDR) warns that a dose of 750 mg to 1000 mg of
Aralen (just two tablets) can prove fatal to a small child. If you think you are
experiencing an acute malaria attack, go to the nearest hospital. Do not attempt
to self-medicate.
When administered under medical supervision Aralen is regarded as a safe and
effective medication. It has been around for many years. Another malaria medication on the
market, Lariam (generic name: mefloquine) is associated with severe
side effects including psychotic episodes and long term psychiatric
problems. Lariam was developed as a treatment for the so-called
"chloroquine-resistant strains" of malaria. These are the strains of malaria
that do not respond to Aralen (generic name: chloroquine). No cases of
chloroquine-resistant malaria have been reported to be locally acquired on the
Oaxaca coast. However recent epidemiological studies have demonstrated that
chloroquine-resistant strains of malaria have been acquired farther south in
Mexico and in Central America. Travelers should be aware that there have been reports of travelers
experiencing psychotic episodes and psychiatric problems while taking the
anti-malarial drug Lariam (generic name: mefloquine). The antibiotic doxycycline (from
the tetracycline family of antibiotics) has been demonstrated to be effective in
suppressing some strains of chloroquine-resistant malaria. Other anti-malarial
medications are under development for the treatment of chloroquine-resistant
strains of malaria.
Dengue Fever
The mosquitos that carry dengue fever are active primarily from dawn to
dusk. Dengue fever is
a mosquito-borne disease that causes flu-like symptoms including high fever,
painful aches, fatigue and malaise. Dengue fever is usually self-limiting and
will resolve within a few weeks. A rare form of dengue known as dengue
hemmoragic fever can be extremely serious. If you think you may be
suffering from dengue fever, seek medical attention. There are presently no
pharmaceutical treatments for dengue. Locally acquired cases of dengue fever
continue to occur on the Oaxaca Coast. Dengue fever has only appeared in Mexico
within the last few years. The outbreak of dengue fever followed a period of
unusually hot and humid weather in Central America that may be linked to global
warming. Dengue is a new disease and remains relatively mysterious. To learn more about
mosquito-borne diseases in Mexico and Central America visit the web page of the
United States Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia.
Jonathan Rapoport
director@zapotec.org
September 1998
Repellent For Jejenes - According to an entomologist (bug expert) that I happened to meet in La Paz a few years ago DEET repellents are not really effective against an onslaught of vicious jejenes. He told me that DEET serves to mask the odor of carbon dioxide emissions from our skin, but the no-see-ums don't use CO2 to find us like zancudos (mosquitos) do.
In addition to DEET I use a few drops of Pennyroyal oil on each limb, rubbing it in to thoroughly spread the oily extract evenly over the limb. I have had dramatic success with this even on the beach at San Blas at sundown (wearing shorts and t-shirt, no less!).
Pennyroyal Oil is available in health food stores. Most containers have an integral eyedropper which is handy. According to the health food gurus, women who are pregnant or in the process of becoming thereof should not use Pennyroyal Oil. The extract is supposedly safe for use on children, but a prudent parent should check with their doctor first.
Saludos de Tecatito!
David Eidell
deidell364@earthlink.net
December 2000
Try the Lime - When we were in Melaque in March/April both myself and my son seemed to attract some kind of no-see-ums that terrorized us. After spending a fortune on bug repellant (none of which seemed to work) we were told to try squeezing lime juice into your hand and rubbing it on, just like repellant. Viola! Worked great. We tried it at home, but unfortunately the Canadian no-see-ums don't seem to be deterred by lime juice.
Wendy Randall
wrandall@yknet.yk.ca
December 2000
Thanks for posting my write up on La Cueva so quickly. I was reading your section on mosquitoes, and thought I'd share this anti-itch method with you...
Mexican insects have absolutely no respect for lethal American-made chemicals manufactured for the express purpose of rendering them biteless. I never go outside without spraying liberal amounts of Cutter's or Deep Wood's Off insect repellent all over my body. I've even tried Autan. In spite of my preventative measures, if it bites, it bites me. So on top of whatever chemicals from the repellent have seeped into my body, I apply liberal amounts of cortisone cream to ease the itching. Cortisone, I'm told, thins the skin, and at my age the skin thins anyway. La vida es dura en Mexico!
One day I watched a friend of mine hold the lit end of a cigarette close to his skin. Knowing him to be too old and sensible to be into self-mutilation, I asked him what he was doing. "It's an old Mexican remedy," he said. Apparently if you hold a cigarette, or I suppose anything very hot such as a newly extinguished match head, close enough to the insect bite to feel the heat but not actually burn yourself, it stops the itch and makes the swelling recede.
Admittedly, this method is a bit more challenging than applying a potion, as it does require a somewhat steady hand. But I've tried it, and it really WORKS! The itching stops, the swelling goes down, and evidence of the bite disappears faster than with cortisone preparations. If the bite starts itching again, repeat the procedure.
I hope no one who's stopped smoking uses this as a rationale to start again. But it is a viable alternative to chemicals.
Jane Gorby
La Manzanilla
jgorby@ciber.net.mx
October 2000
www.johnzap.com John Williams:
john@johnzap.com