IT’S the prime season for mosquitoes in Spain as they affect people to different degrees with a host of counter-measures that can be taken against them- with varying results.
The little pests pick their human targets based on things like skin smell, body heat, humidity, or even how a person looks.
Allergy expert, Isabel Fernandez de Alba, told El Pais: “Body odour is made up of chemical compounds such as carboxylic acids and aldehydes. People who release higher amounts of certain substances tend to be more attractive to mosquitoes.”
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The problem does not change for an individual as there is a genetic compound that causes mosquito attraction as proven in studies made involving identical twins.
Reactions to a bite vary and its common for a small inflammation and irritation to appear on the skin.
Fernandez de Alba said there are victims who suffer a more severe reaction like a large bite more than 10 cms which becomes very hot and red and needs to be treated with an antihistamine or even an antibiotic.
Proper medication should also be taken as vinegar, toothpaste or alcohol do nothing but make a bite worse.
There are also possible signs to look out for an allergic reaction.
“If we have been stung on our hand and we have hives on our legs, or if we also have general symptoms such as dizziness or loss of consciousness, we have difficulty breathing, we have vomiting or diarrhoea, then we would be facing an allergic reaction,” Fernandez de Alba said.
As for prevention, there are mosquito nets or electric mosquito diffusers in addition repellents.
There are chemical sprays which are effective and widely as well as natural repellents- although they have variable results.
Fernandez de Alba told El Pais that tests have shown good results in some natural products.
She says the most effective are citronella oil and catnip essential oil which contains nepetalactone and can repel up to 70% of mosquitoes.
The downside is that natural repellents last for a shorter time than chemical products and have to be reapplied every hour or two.
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