Mosquito Borne Illness

[Dave Dillehay]

In reality, there is much less of this than seems from all the recent sensationalism. I and most if my family have been here for 25 years and never once had a problem, but of course a few do such as Christy and of course others. Here are my tips on enjoying paradise and not worrying.

1. For accommodations, stay near town. The municipality does a good job of mosquito abatement and spraying from Puerto Abrigo to the south side of town. If you want to stay in the jungle then other measures are worthwhile.

2. Use repellent DEET, preferably in 40% concentrations whenever you are outside (remember the really bad suckers eat during the day, not just at night) Also remember to bring it with you as stores here run out when the mosquitos are really bad, and all you can find are 5-10% lotions, but I've never seen 40% here at any time.

3. Choose your accommodation with the question of mosquito control. Many do a good job of that, most don't.

Dave Dillehay

Aldora Divers

www.aldora.com

 

[The Chairman]

I really hate those suckers. However, I live due south of the Everglades and a stiff wind from the North and we have more than our fair share of marsh mosquitoes.

With that experience, I wasn't that bothered while in Coz. Even in the center of the island they just weren't that bad. Head to the mainland to dive the cenotes and that's a horse of a different color. Like Dave said: bring repellent. USE repellent. Stay submerged as long as possible. They haven't learned to Scuba dive yet.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I really hate those suckers. However, I live due south of the Everglades and a stiff wind from the North and we have more than our fair share of marsh mosquitoes.

With that experience, I wasn't that bothered while in Coz. Even in the center of the island they just weren't that bad. Head to the mainland to dive the cenotes and that's a horse of a different color. Like Dave said: bring repellent. USE repellent. Stay submerged as long as possible. They haven't learned to Scuba dive yet.

Yeah but isn't the concern now.. Horrible birth defects? Aren't women who are pregnant or could become pregnant advised to avoid the entire country?

 

[The Chairman]

Yeah but isn't the concern now.. Horrible birth defects? Aren't women who are pregnant or could become pregnant advised to avoid the entire country?

It's already here in the US, I'm afraid.

 

[cvchief]

... If you want to stay in the jungle then other measures are worthwhile....


Dave Dillehay

Aldora Divers

www.aldora.com[/QUOTE]

Well, actually it is the house mosquito Aedes aegypti spreads the dengues, chikungunya and Zika. It is the little one that hide in the shower or under a table that will get you sick. I think the jungle might get you alot more bites, but I would bet the chance of infection is much lower than in town.

CDC - Entomology - Dengue

 

[Dave Dillehay]

The term out in the "jungles" referrer to areas away from town where spraying and control is less active.

Dave Dillehay

Aldora Divers

PS Each of the rooms at our Villa Aldora have a full spray bottle of North Woods 40% DEET

 

[cvchief]

I was sitting outside a La Chef when they came through spraying. Thank goodness the cut the sprayer and gave us a space.

 

[deepsea21]

This is all media hype. Period. The media and even governments are scaring people to death for absolutely no reason. The claim that Zika infected mosquitos cause birth defects is 100% circumstantial and has been based on EIGHT (8) let me say that again EIGHT (8) cases in which a child that displayed the disease happened to have a mother who was infected with it. There is absolutely no proven scientific evidence that links the Zika virus to any type of infant develpmental disorder.

I think we all remember when Ebolla was supposedly going to run rampant around the world. What happened with that? OF course, we now have big pharma developing yet another vaccine for Zika now that has been proven to cause no more harm than a common cold/flu and many who get infected don't even get sick! All must do what they will but I would't write off a nonrefundable $3000 paid for vacation as I read others are doing when a $5 can of bug spray takes care of it all.

 

[drrich2]

Many people won't wait for proof that Zika is apt to cause their infant to have microcephaly. Scientific American has an article on What Would It Take to Prove the Zika-Microcephaly Link?

But consider this; let's say that in the fullness of time, Zika is somehow proven to have no causative effect regarding microcephaly. If there's a big uptick in microcephaly in Brazil from some as-yet unknown cause, will pregnant women insist on going there, instead of waiting till they're not pregnant?

Richard.

 

[mstevens]

This is all media hype. Period.

What is? Mosquito-borne illnesses have caused more human deaths than nearly anything else.

Zika - who knows? It's apparently easily-spread. Maybe it causes birth defects, maybe not.

Sure, the hype machine loves a good frightener, especially if it somehow involves dark-skinned people.

I never worried about Ebola because I expected never to be exposed. My wife did research on 2 different African hemorrhagic fever viruses through 2 pregnancies. We know how to limit our exposure to that sort of thing.

Mosquito-borne illness, though, is harder to prophylax against. It takes consistent vigilance, and even then you're going to get bitten occasionally.

I say it's time for a concerted effort to eradicate the little jerks altogether.