Summer is a vibrant season that brings with it various gifts for people, including pleasant ones like delicious fruits to beat the heat.
But it also brings some terrifying gifts, which apparently include scorching heat and the notorious villain of human comfort and good health, mosquitoes.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mosquitoes can spread diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, West Nile virus, yellow fever, Zika, and more.
While the CDC emphasized that such cases are generally rare in the United States, it doesn’t hurt to learn how to prevent the spread of such diseases and avoid irritating and itchy bites.
So how do you achieve a scratch-free summer?
The CDC recommends using EPA-registered repellents because they have been shown to be safe and effective, including for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Parents must remember to always follow label directions when using repellents on their children and avoid applying repellent to the child’s hands, eyes, mouth, cuts or irritated skin.
Adults must apply repellent to their hands before applying to the child’s face.
Natural repellants are another option for people trying to keep mosquitoes at bay, but the CDC warns that non-EPA-registered products have not been evaluated for effectiveness.
The CDC recommends that parents dress their children in clothing that covers their arms and legs, while infants and toddlers in strollers and strollers should be protected by mosquito netting.
Meanwhile, adults should also try to wear loose shirts and long-sleeved pants.
