Ashley Hunter
Greene Publishing, Inc.
Florida's Attorney General Pam Bondi is warning citizens and visitors of Florida to be cautious when purchasing insect repellant that is advertising itself as being effective against the Zika virus.
Repellants that work against the Aedes aegypti mosquito have active ingredients such as Deet, IR3535, Picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. “All Floridians should be diligent and do their part to stop the spread of the Zika virus in Florida and one way to ensure the virus is contained is to use proven mosquito-repellent products and avoid any products that falsely claim they can prevent insect bites,” said Attorney General Bondi. Bondi fears that unproven repellants that boast of repelling the Aedes aegypti mosquito may give people a false sense of security and cause them to be less careful when in mosquito habitats.
The brands that have been proven by the Florida Department of Health to repel the Aedes aegypti are: Off!, Sawyer, Ultrathon, Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus, Repel and Skin Smart.
Of course, the best method for mosquito prevention is controlling the environment in which mosquitos live and breed. The Aedes aegypti prefers a wet environment, so emptying and regularly cleaning containers of standing water in the areas around homes, workplaces and farm lands is the best way to ensure that the Aedes aegypti population does not get the chance to become immense.
When applying bug repellant remember, the higher percentage of an active ingredient is what offers the longest lasting protection.