Mosquito-repellent Scent Mats Harmful?

[elfe]

hi,

since almost 3 years I'm using electric heated scent mats in the house to keep off the mossies. They are really effective, I have one plugged in the bedroom and, with all doors open, the whole house is mosquito-free. A new mat has to be inserted around every 7 hours.

Recently I asked my friend's husband, who is Thai, why they don't use the same as there are always lots of mossies at their place and he replied he would never ever use them as they are so dangerous to health

now I'm concerned as I sleep every night next to that mat-device.

anyone have any experience or knowledge about it?

thanks

elfe

[KevinN]

I think it might just be a Thai thing,but you never know as they are bound to put something in the air to cover the CO2 that is in exhaled breath that the mossies home in on.

But my wife,who is an educated thai answered when I asked why Thai eat green mangos and papayas instead of letting them get ripe first,"because the green ones are alright but the ripe ones will sometimes make you sick."

Kinda like the Koreans I had on a crew onetime,Wouldn't work with out Kim Chee with their food,"work and not eat Kim Chee will make you very sick"

I would rather sleep bug free than come down with Dengue,I know that stuff is very unhealthy also.

[T0MY]

I have seen those things around, but have never used one. How is it dangerous to health? i mean in what way.

[stumonster]

life is bad for your health, every minute brings you closer to death.

after using them for three years have you noticed any side effects?

if you have your windows open it should mitigate any problems about being exposed to harmful levels of insecticide. I have never seen any warnings about the devices you are talking about and they have been in use around the planet for the last ten years or so.

I think most people do not use them because of the cost, and they are used to using mosquito coils and spray/wipe on repellants.

[Thomas_Merton]

I've lived in quite a few different countries on this globe of ours. They've all had the mosquito problem (except for dear old Blighty).

The only country where there was any really effective protection from these little pests was (I'll have to whisper the name in case I waken our Arabists from their stupor), was Isra*l.

There, in the rural areas, on every lamppost or telegraph pole, are attached ultra-violet electrocuting devices. Similar to those insect killing lamps you can buy in Lotus/Tesco, but about 10 times larger than the largest I have seen in Thailand.

Coupled with this, every house is totally insulated with mosquito netting. Every window, every door, no holes in the roof or walls.

If you don't do stupid things like opening your doors with the lights on inside the house at night, you are able to spend mosquito free evenings relaxing reading a book or watching TV. You even awaken in the morning with bite free skin.

Of course the Isra*lites have other pests, but, as I am sure you are aware, they use similar techniques to combat them also.

[elfe]

hi,

thanks for your replies, no I haven't noticed any sideeffects so far, not that i'm aware of...

was curious how these things work, thought it was that they emit some odour which mosquitos don't like and so they stay off, but I even found dead ones around the device so I started to think it might be worse...

or maybe they had starved?

anyone knows how they work? KevinN, I'm not sure about your theory cause why then the house is mossie-free even when nobody's inside?

these ultraviaolet lamps, I have seen them here as well, some friends of mine use them but they are not that effective as it seems...

and TizMe, maybe you should change to mats as well instead of liquids....

[KevinN]

Here is something you might find interesting,

Also AVON makes a skin softner that works better than most bug repellants,Avon skin so soft.

All warm-blooded mammals, including humans, exhale carbon dioxide (CO2) as they breathe. To mimic the breath of a human, The Lentek Mosquito Trap converts propane to CO2, through the use of proprietary ceramic catalyst. The CO2 is released into the air in a plume that sends a scent trail inviting mosquitoes inhabiting your back yard or outdoor living space to the trap. Scientists consider carbon dioxide as the single most important cue used by mosquitoes for locating a source of blood (female mosquitoes can detect a host to feed on at a distance of 20 - 40 yards!). Carbon dioxide serves as the most important long-range attractant to the trap.

As a mosquito converges on the trap, it is further attracted by temperature, moisture and light stimulants. The body of the trap is slightly warmed to simulate the temperature of human skin. The exclusive colored light provides a visual contrast to the surroundings which further attracts the mosquito which thinks it has just found an easy meal! Once the mosquito lands on the trap, it is caught in the vacuum of the powerful fan and sucked into the trap from which it is unable to escape. It quickly dehydrates and dies.

[monitorlizard]

If you want to get exercise then I recommend that you buy the small battery operated tennis racket mosquito popper. The racket strings are medal. You press a button and a light comes on and the medal strings are now juiced up. I have no idea how much of an electrical shock there is because after hearing a LOUD pop when my wife swated a mosquito, I became a little timid of checking the strength of the current. There are only 4 small AA(?) batteries so I imagine it won't kill you.

Apparently these things are a must to have around when you have infants/babies and the pesky mos are on the mosquito net trying to crawl in to have a feast.

It is great fun I have to add. My eye sight is not the greatest at night so I am batting 0/100. My wife has a much better aim.

[wolf5370]

Usually sleep the aircon on - can keep windows shut then so they little buggers can't get in or, if they do, don't like the aircon.

When staying with Khun Yai in the middle of nowhere (farm country near Lumpang), I have tried the pads, but found them uneffective. So, use a Mossie net and light a few coils before bed to clear out the room. Generally works.

[Wandering]

I've ejoyed watching several 18 year old, "I'm invincible" types, touch the metal inside the electric tennis rackets, just to see what would happen. Well after the loud shock and their shocked faces, the result was a room fool of joyous laughter. We do love to laugh at pain here in Thailand.

[elfe]

guys, thanks for your interesting replies.

good that no one knows about any unhealthy side effects, let's hope that my friend just wasn't well informed.

so far, these mats work perfect for me .... compared to smelly coils, disturbing neon light, skin-irritating lotions or sprays, or even electro-shocking tennis in the bedroom

[Nam Kao]

I read on a different forum if you take a good daily dose of vitamin B ? the little

buggers will leave you alone.

I had Dengue once, I think you can only get it once in your lifetime.

[bartender100]

Found this

Does taking vitamin B prevent mosquito bites?

In a word, no. Dr. Jonathan Day, the resident expert of mosquitoes.com, doesn't think so: "We've tested many home remedies like garlic, bananas and vitamin B," says Dr. Day. "While they may offer other health benefits, repelling mosquitoes and other biting insects is certainly not one of them." Instead, Dr. Day recommends any repellent featuring the chemical compound DEET, which has been on the market for over 40 years.

But seeing as how Dr. Day is in the employ of the OFF! repellent company, we decided to double-check our sources. A rather technical article from the Annals of Internal Medicine agrees with Dr. Day, calling DEET "the most effective, and best studied, insect repellent currently on the market."

The article also gives the rest of the usual suspects the thumbs down: "Ultrasonic devices, outdoor bug 'zappers,' and bat houses are not effective against mosquitoes." And on the vitamin B issue, it asserts, "Despite the obvious desirability of finding an effective oral mosquito repellent, no such agent has been identified."

[taxexile]

nam kao

I had Dengue once, I think you can only get it once in your lifetime

sorry to be the bringer of bad news,but........it seems as if you can get it up to 4 times.

Dengue Fever

Description

Dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) are viral diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, usually Ae. aegypti. The four dengue viruses (DEN-1 through DEN-4) are immunologically related, but do not provide cross-protective immunity against each other.

Occurrence

Dengue, a rapidly expanding disease in most tropical and subtropical areas of the world, has become the most important arboviral disease of humans. More than 2.5 billion persons now live in areas at risk of infection, and an estimated 50 million–100 million cases of dengue fever occur each year, 200,000–500,000 of which are DHF. The case-fatality rate for DHF averages 5%. Epidemics caused by all four virus serotypes have become progressively more frequent and larger in the past 20 years. As of 2002, dengue fever is endemic in most tropical countries of the South Pacific, Asia, the Caribbean, the Americas, and Africa (see Map 3–1). Additionally, most tropical urban centers in these regions have multiple dengue virus serotypes co-circulating (hyperendemicity), which increases dengue transmission and the risk of DHF. Future dengue incidence in specific locales cannot be predicted accurately, but a high level of dengue transmission is anticipated in all tropical areas of the world for the indefinite future. The incidence of the severe disease, DHF, has increased dramatically in Southeast Asia, the South Pacific, and the American tropics in the past 20 years, with major epidemics occurring in many countries every 3–5 years. DHF is an emerging disease in the Americas. The first major epidemic occurred in Cuba in 1981, and a second major epidemic of DHF occurred in Venezuela in 1989 and 1990. Since then, outbreaks or sporadic cases, or both, of confirmed DHF have occurred in 28 tropical American countries. After an absence of 35 years, a small number of autochthonous cases of dengue fever have been documented in the continental United States (southern Texas in 1980, 1986, and 1995), associated with imported cases and epidemic dengue in adjacent states in Mexico. After an absence of 56 years, a limited outbreak of dengue fever occurred in Hawaii in 2001, associated with imported cases and epidemic dengue in the South Pacific.

Risk for Travelers

International travelers are at risk for dengue infection, especially if an epidemic is in progress. Cases of dengue are confirmed every year in travelers returning to the United States following visits to tropical and subtropical areas. Travelers to endemic and epidemic areas, therefore, should be advised to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites. The principal vector mosquito, Ae. aegypti, prefers to feed on humans during the daytime and most frequently is found in or near human habitations. There are two peak periods of biting activity, in the morning for several hours after daybreak and in the late afternoon for several hours before dark. The mosquito may feed at any time during the day, however, especially indoors, in shady areas, or when it is overcast. Mosquito breeding sites include artificial water containers such as discarded tires, uncovered barrels, buckets, flower vases or pots, cans, and cisterns.

Although not completely understood, current data suggest that, in addition to virus strain, the immune status (i.e., having had a previous dengue infection), age, and genetic background of the human host are the most important risk factors for developing DHF. In Asia, where herd immunity is high, DHF is observed most commonly in infants and children <15 years of age who are experiencing a second dengue infection. In the Americas and the Pacific, where herd immunity is lower, it is more common to observe DHF in older children and adults. International travelers from nonendemic areas (such as the United States) are generally at low risk for DHF infection. There is little information in published reports about the risk of dengue infection in pregnant women. In spite of many epidemics, no increase in congenital malformations has been noted after dengue epidemics. A small number of recently reported cases suggests that if the mother is ill with dengue around the time of delivery, the child can be born with dengue or can acquire dengue through the delivery process itself.

Clinical Presentation

Dengue fever is characterized by sudden onset after an incubation period of 3–14 days (most commonly 4–7 days), high fever, severe frontal headache, and joint and muscle pain. Many patients have nausea, vomiting, and rash. The rash appears 3–5 days after onset of fever and can spread from the torso to the arms, legs, and face. The disease is usually self-limited, although convalescence can be prolonged. Many cases of nonspecific viral syndrome or even subclinical infection occur, but dengue can also present as a severe, sometimes fatal hemorrhagic disease called DHF.

Dengue should be considered by physicians in the differential diagnosis of all patients who have fever and a history of travel to a tropical area within 3 weeks of onset of symptoms. For diagnosis, acute- and convalescent-phase serum samples should be obtained and sent through state or territorial health department laboratories to CDC's Dengue Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, 1324 Calle Cañada, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00920–3860. Serum samples should be accompanied by clinical and epidemiologic information, including the date of disease onset, the date of collection of the sample, and a detailed recent travel history. For additional information, the Dengue Branch can be contacted at: telephone 1-787-706-2399; fax 1-787-706-2496; e-mail [email protected]; or the DVBID website at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/dengue/index.htm.

Prevention

No vaccine is available. Travelers should be advised that they can reduce their risk of acquiring dengue by remaining in well-screened or air-conditioned areas when possible, wearing clothing that adequately covers the arms and legs, and applying insect repellent to both skin and clothing. The most effective repellents are those containing N,N-diethylmetatoluamide (DEET). (See Protection against Mosquitoes and Other Arthropods.)

Treatment

Acetaminophen products are recommended for managing fever. Acetylsalicyclic acid (aspirin) and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents (such as ibuprofen) should be avoided because of their anticoagulant properties. Patients should be encouraged to rest and take abundant fluids. In severe cases, the prompt infusion of intravenous fluids is necessary to maintain adequate blood pressure. Because shock may develop suddenly, vital signs must be monitored frequently. Hypotension is a more frequent complication of DHF than severe hemorrhage.

— Gary Clark, Duane Gubler, Jose Rigau