Insect Precautions
Risk of insect-carried infections varies depending on the country, season and time of day. Protect yourself from mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and flies with the following considerations:
Avoid Bites:
- Cover skin with long sleeve shirts and pants. Consider treating outer clothing with an insecticide product.
- Wear light or medium-coloured clothing and avoid scented soaps and deodorants.
- Apply insect repellent that contains either 30% DEET or 20% Icaridin, to exposed skin and clothing.
- Sleep under a treated bed net or in an enclosed air conditioned room.
- Nets should be used over cots, playpens and strollers to protect infants.
- Get rid of standing water, where mosquitoes can breed.
Get your shots:
Take preventative medication:
- In addition to the precautions above, anti-malarial medications are taken preventative to kill malaria parasites, transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito, suppressing the symptoms of the infection until the risk of the disease is gone.
Additional information:
- Governemnt of Canada – Insect Bite Prevention
- World Health Organization – Vector-borne Diseases