In the US today the CDC states that the most effective mosquito repellent, that lasts the longest between applications is a combination of Deet and "lemon oil of eucalyptus". This is the most effective treatment available. Any opinions on this ?.................JJ

JJ,

Looks like they are just alternatives to DEET, not better than DEET, according to the article below. The oil of lemon eucalyptus appears to last only about 2 hours according to another article I read.


U.S. health officials on Thursday recommended two more mosquito repellent ingredients, one of them a plant oil, to fight the West Nile virus after years of favoring the chemical DEET.

With the virus now in 47 of the 48 continental U.S. states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control put the chemical picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus on its list of ingredients to ward off West Nile-carrying mosquitoes.

Doctors have no treatment for the sometimes fatal disease and mosquito repellents are considered the top weapon against it. But studies have found only about 40 percent of people use repellents -- even fewer in California, which had 771 cases last year, the highest number of any U.S. state.

CDC officials said they hope the recommended ingredients, which have been used elsewhere in the world for years, will increase the likelihood that Americans will use repellents to protect against West Nile, which killed 88 people in the country last year.

"We're hoping that by consumers having more options available ... they'll find something they really like to use," Dr. Emily Zielinski-Gutierrez, a CDC scientist, said during a telephone news conference.

West Nile, which is common in north Africa and parts of Europe and the Middle East, appeared in the United States in 1999 and quickly spread across the continent. Last year 2,470 cases were reported to the CDC.

Eighty percent of people who are infected with West Nile show no signs of it, while 20 percent have symptoms such as fever, headache, nausea and vomiting. About 1 in 150 will become severely ill, which could include high fever, stupor, coma, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss and paralysis.

Picaridin has been an ingredient in repellents in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Australia for years, and can be as effective as DEET, the CDC said.

Oil of lemon eucalyptus, likely to be favored by people who don't like to put chemicals on their skin or dislike the odor of DEET, is as effective as low-concentration DEET products, the health agency said.

Regards,

Terry

Not to change the tilt of this seriuos topic, but i learned at the tender age of 9 about the "African" repelent. George's two sons ( i dont remember their names) told me that by rubbing game droppings on my exposed skin, face included, i would not be bitten by the thousands of bugs and the game would not be as spooky. So trying to fit in and be one of the tribe i did what they told me to do. My Aunt Marge upon seeing and smelling me asked why i did such a silly thing. I cant recall my answer but i dont think i was bitten with the "African" repelent on. Their just might be a fourtune awaiting someone with the fortitude to do field studies on this , anyone for Bongo dung?? Charlie

"George's two sons ( i dont remember their names) told me that by rubbing game droppings on my exposed skin, face included, i would not be bitten by the thousands of bugs and the game would not be as spooky"
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I could be wrong on this, but I think maybe those two boys back then pulled a fast one on ya!

I saw a travel show a bit back on Norway (I think it was Norway, but maybe Finland), and there was a bit on a reindeer shoot. As the resident shooter gutted a downed cull reindeer, the travel guide chap made a remark about the smelly green contents of the animal's stomach. The guide lit up and went on to explain that it was a little known fact that the locals for generations had engaged in eating the vegetable matter in the stomach as a way to supplement the diet of the locals, as they had little in the way of vegetables back then and needed the extra vitamins that were found in the partially digested lichens and whatnot. "Oh, right, kind of like a side of salad?" asked the guide. "Exactly. You might try it--it's a bit bitter, but not too bad, really", responded the local. The travel guide then dipped a finger into the green mess, looked at the local as if to ask "you sure about this?", to which the shooter nodded approvingly, with deadpan face. The travel guide did as suggested, and immediately looked as if he were about to wretch. The shooter's face then turned into a wide smile, and then said triumphantly, "by the way, I was just kidding about the ancestors eating of that stuff part--blech!"

Thanks for the info Terry, do you think it would be effective in Africa ?............JJ

Are you asking about oil of lemon eucalyptus? I really don't kow, but would hate to have to apply it every two hours.

I use a 30% DEET solution in the morning and, if I've been sweating or the bugs are bad, I apply another round at lunch.

Actually, except for the tics in Kwa-Zulu Natal, I haven't had a lot of problems with bugs in Africa, even in the Selous.

Regards,

Terry

Sounds good to me, thanks Terry............JJ

So when was it determined that eucalyptus isn't a chemical?

If the "Europeans" use it it must be better than DEET.

The CDC has become a politically correct entity like so many other "research" institutions. As such, I doubt much of what comes out of there.

I'am no authority but have been to the Zambezi Valley the last two years. Our biggest problem was Tsetse/Mopane flies. The first year I took some "Off" which I think contains deet. I also took some Avon "Skin So Soft" which contains a bug repellant. The Avon product had been recommended by the PH before departure. I found the "Off" did not work well at all and the "Skin So Soft" worked much better. You will need to apply it 2-3 times a day. It comes in a spray and as a creme in a tube. The cream works best, last longer and leaves no oily residue on the skin. Someone may have brought this up before, if so, apologies as I am pretty new to the site.