I'm getting a lot of questions about West Nile Virus these days, so I would like to remind everyone that the chances of developing a serious case, even if bitten by an infected mosquito are less than one percent. The deaths and other cases of West Nile encephalitis (an inflammation of the brain) we've read about are rare. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that people over the age of 50 are at greatest risk -- it isn't known whether immune-compromised individuals are at higher than normal risk. Clearly, we can't know how many people were bitten by infected mosquitoes but developed no symptoms or only mild ones -- fever, headache, body aches and, occasionally, a skin rash on the trunk of the body or swollen lymph glands. The good news is, that if you were infected, (and never knew it), you're probably immune from West Nile for life.
As far as prevention is concerned, the CDC recommends using insect repellant containing DEET, which I find nasty and toxic. However, you don't have to spray it on your skin. If you take the CDC's advice (and you should) to wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when you're outdoors, you can spray the repellant on your clothing (mosquitoes can and do bite through cloth). If possible, stay indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are out and about and make sure your window screens are in proper repair so that the bugs can't sneak indoors. Put mosquito netting over infant-carriers whenever you take a baby outdoors.
In addition, I recommend the following insect repellants:
- Products containing geraniol: some research suggests that this natural plant-derived substance is effective.
- Neem oil, from Azadirachta indica, an Indian tree: in one study, neem oil provided significant protection for up to 12 hours.
Andrew Weil, M.D.
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