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UK unprepped for mosquito invasion
29 August 2014, 22:02,
#1
UK unprepped for mosquito invasion
Copied from E mail I got thought it may be useful to some folks down south

http://www.home.bt.com/lifestyle/wellbei...3929384582



By Carla Challis
Last updated: 29 August 2014, 17:11 BST

Mosquitoes have been thriving in Britain’s warm summer, and with the sunny weather set to return in early September, experts are warning of an influx of more biting insects, especially when mosquitoes settle down for the autumn and go looking for their last feed.

There are 34 different species of mosquito in the UK, 18 of which can potentially transmit malaria. A new study, which spoke to 2,000 people across the country, has looked at how prepared Brits are for a rise in biting insects. It found that one in four people were regularly bitten by insects in the UK, but that nearly a third said they never wore any insect repellent while they were in Britain.

Brits are familiar with biting insects as there are extremely high numbers in some popular holiday destinations across Europe - Spain and Italy have already been hit with mosquitoes that carry malaria.

A key concern over the next few years is that new breeds of mosquitoes will reach the UK, bringing with them diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.

Tropical weather is more than likely here to stay, so it is even more vital that Brits protect themselves against bites, especially as many wrongly believe that the right clothing can protect them.

The study shows that people have a lack of knowledge on what makes them attractive to mosquitoes. Nearly one in five respondents believed mosquitoes could only bite exposed skin, a quarter did not think mosquitoes are common in the UK, and 17% thought mosquitoes were attracted to the smell of blood.

While the insect repellents available will keep mosquitoes at bay, many contain DEET, a pesticide that is harmful not only to mosquitoes but to mammals and bees too. The study conducted on behalf of insect repellent producer Incognito found that although around six million people use repellent in the UK, nearly two-thirds were not even aware that insect repellent contained DEET.

A study conducted by James Logan at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine recently uncovered a DEET-resistant gene in mosquitoes.

Bite-protection expert Howard Carter, who contracted both malaria and dengue fever whilst wearing repellent that contained DEET, said that this changes the game when it comes to protecting yourself against bites.

“The DEET-resistant gene present in all mosquitoes means it is now a gamble every time a DEET-based mosquito repellent is used as to whether it will work or not,” he said.

"With ever increasing amounts of insects in the UK, it makes a lot of sense for people to learn how to protect themselves now, before any potentially fatal diseases arrive in the UK.

“As can be seen from the study, most Brits do not have much of a clue how to protect themselves from mosquitoes.

“It's not just a question of applying a repellent either; this latest deluge of rain will ensure unprecedented numbers of mosquitoes in forthcoming weeks in the UK,” Carter added.

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30 August 2014, 08:14,
#2
RE: UK unprepped for mosquito invasion
On a personal level I have never been on the receiving end of insect bites - but I know of some people who are continuously 'targeted' by the little blighters and my other half is one of those. The conclusion that I come to is that she/they must give off some kind of 'aroma' that the insects pick up on and this means to them that this is a good place to be. So she gets bitten.
With the evolving weather system in this country it would seem to be almost inevitable that 'new' insects would arrive here at some point and I do not see how you could prevent that. We have to learn how to deal with this as we have to learn how to adapt and deal with everything else if we want to live a reasonably 'comfortable' life. A good warning system is one of the tools to be used and the ability to be able to react to the news in a sensible way is part of ones life.
Thank you for the info.
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