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(meteorobs) Mosquitoes



I contacted couple of camping shops about the chemical used to impregnate
mosquito nets.  Both referred me to a travel medical clinic.  The clinic
sells a kit to impregnate clothes.  For $A10 you get enough chemical to
impregnate about half a dozen large tee-shirts and the chemical remains
active for up to 10 washes.  The kit also contains a pair or rubber gloves.

My earlier message was wrong on two counts; the chemical is PERMETHRIN
which is an HDC closely related to pyrethrin, and is an extract from
chrysanthemum, also, it doesn't "kill on contact", but the fumes repell
mosquitoes.

The clinic knew of no problems with its use aside from an asthmatic who
had problems with the fumes, and have had good feedback from its use.
However it is still a hormone disrupting chemical and I only intend to
use it when there is a risk of serious mosquito borne disease.  If there
were no problems with the chemical, why the rubber gloves!

Australia doesn't suffer too badly from mosquito borne disease.  The worst
is Japanese encephalitis, which is very occasionally contracted on the
islands to the north of the mainland.  Dengue fever has occasional
outbreaks in tropical Queensland, but the widespread disease is Ross river
fever.  This is not fatal, and is in many cases very mild, but for a large
and growing number of Australians in the north and east, occasional
bouts of the illness can be quite debilitating.  There is no vaccination
or cure for this virus and the onset with severe rheumatic pain can leave
you bed-ridden for a few days and general listlessness can last for months
with occasional recurrence.  I know of a dozen or more people in our
local community of only 2,000, who have contracted the virus (confirmed
by blood tests).  Malaria doesn't occur in Australia, but does just to the
north in New Guinea and SE Asia.  If you happen to be a dog, heartworm is a
killer!

In Australia, the most effective personal mosquito repellants contain DEET
and with "tropical strength" the amount of DEET is increased.

Cheers, Rob McNaught
(rmn@aaocbn.aaodot gov.au)