It’s the time & the season to keep a watchful eye out for mosquitoes

A friend’s nine year-old daughter once told me, “You attract mosquitoes more then most people because you have cotton candy blood.” She might have been on to something, as experts believe those with Type O blood do attract these pesky creatures more easily. All I know is that if you invite me to your party you won’t need citronella candles to keep the bugs away. The worst part is the itching and the subsequent scarring of my poor legs. Or is that the worst of it?

The fact is, we’re in dengue country – since January of this year, there have been 200 confirmed cases of the dengue virus in the state of Sinaloa, and a good number of them right here in Mazatlán.

According to the Centers for Disease Control in the U.S.: “Dengue is a disease caused by any one of four closely related viruses (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, or DEN-4). The viruses are transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. In the Western Hemisphere, the Aedes aegypti mosquito is the most important transmitter or vector of dengue viruses.” You cannot catch it from another person

Symptoms include headache, backache and eye and joint pain. A dengue-diagnosed friend told me it felt like she’d been hit by a Mac truck.” High fever, nausea, vomiting and a rash can be present as well. Symptoms last between 2-7 days and begin several days after the bite. Dengue symptoms can be confused with other illnesses and a blood test is needed to truly diagnose it. A more severe manifestation of the fever is called dengue hemorrhagic fever and can cause bruising, other internal bleeding and even circulatory failure followed by death.

Yes, it sounds scary, but your risk for contracting dengue is actually quite small and the risk of serious consequences even smaller. Although there’s no medication to treat dengue (only the symptoms), you should definitely see a doctor if you suspect you have it or your symptoms worsen. Treat the symptoms with lots of fluids, rest and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) for pain and fever. (Do not take anti-inflammatory type medication such as ibuprofen.) Many have found recovery, after the other symptoms go away, to be slow, and to include fatigue and even depression

To reduce your risk of being bitten, take the following steps:

• Eliminate standing water where mosquitoes breed. Ask your neighbors to do the same. Remember, they breed in clean water as well.
• Try the plug-in bug repellents available at any pharmacy (I swear by them).
• Use citronella-scented candles.
• Use yellow bug lights in your outside areas and invest in good-quality bug zappers.
• Use the right amount of repellent containing 20-30% DEET and apply it to your skin and clothes. The higher the concentration, the less often you need to apply. Re-apply after 3-4 hours.
• For a more natural alternative, try oil of eucalyptus, citronella, lemongrass or geranium.
• Cover up with lightweight and light-colored clothing. Mosquitoes are attracted to the warmth of your body, so dark clothes bring ‘em on. Some people swear that rubbing a fabric softener sheet on their clothes and body keeps the mosquitoes away, but this doesn’t do a thing for me.
• Sleep under protective netting or with a fan blowing on you. Mosquitoes don’t like the air movement.
• Avoid outdoor activity at dawn, dusk and early evening, when they’re more prevalent.
• In Mazatlan, some areas seem to be affected more then others. Talk with your neighbors and let the city know if it’s a significant problem in your neighborhood.
• Bats feed on mosquitoes, often eating hundreds a night. So don’t be so quick to try and get rid of them.

Maureen “Mo” Geraghty M.A., a certified yoga teacher and Exercise Kinesiologist, has been teaching for over 20 years. She offers classes for all levels in Centro and north of the marina. For more info: www.mazatlanyoga.com or 044-669-159-1655.