Holiday warning as mosquitoes carrying paralysing killer virus are becoming IMMUNE to bug spray
MOSQUITOES carrying deadly West Nile virus have developed immunity to some repellents, health officials have warned.
It comes after popular holiday spots like Greece have been hit with a wave of new cases of the pest-borne bug this month, two of which resulted in deaths.
The virus - which can cause fits and paralysis in severe cases - is spread by the Culex mosquito.
After a season of extreme heat and heavy stormy created ideal conditions for the pest to thrive, health officials in the US have now reported that one of the first lines of defence against it no longer seems to be working.
Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that Culex mozzies have become increasingly resistant to the insecticides that communities use in mass sprays to try to kill the bugs and their eggs.
"It's not a good sign," Roxanne Connelly, a medical entomologist with the CDC told during a visit to a Colorado-based lab that studies the insects.
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"We're losing some of our tools that we normally rely on to control infected mosquitoes," she went on.
Not only are mosquitoes unaffected by a dose insecticide, CDC lab tests showed: those exposed to it are actually living longer.
"You want a product that's gonna be able to knock them down, not do this," Dr Connelly told the outlet.
However, experiments at the lab have so far not shown that Culex mosquitoes are resistant to mosquito repellent you'd use for outdoor activities and summer evenings.
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They continue to work well, Dr Connelly said.
Brits travelling to Greece this summer were warned to be wary of mozzie bites, after officials at the Greek National Health Care Organisation (EODY) revealed that West Nile virus cases have risen rapidly within the last couple of weeks.
Of the 11 infections emerging since July 25, eight have been reported since the start of this month.
And EODY confirmed that two people had died of the virus.
Greece is not alone in reporting a rise in cases of West Nile viru, as Italy and Hungary have also seen an increase.
More than 1,300 locally acquired human cases of West Nile virus infections - including 104 deaths in 2022 - were recorded, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
They were the highest reported number of locally acquired cases since the peak epidemic year of 2018 - for which there were over 1,500.
Most people who are bitten by a mosquito carrying the West Nile virus won't experience any symptoms.
But some might develop mild flu-like symptoms, a skin rash and may feel sick. The virus will usually go away without treatment.
In rare cases, people can come down with a severe infection that includes flu-like symptoms and also:
- muscle weakness
- confusion
- fits (seizures)
These should be treated in hospital, as in rare cases this can develop into meningitis and encephalitis.
People aged over 50 or with another condition, such as cancer, diabetes or hypertension, are more at risk of getting seriously ill, NHS guidance notes.
It added that West Nile virus rarely affects UK travellers, nor is it spread in the UK.
How can I protect myself from West Nile virus?
The best way to avoid getting sick is to stop mosquitoes from biting you.
You can still rely on mosquito repellent to deter the pest, but which one you choose is important.
Look for sprays with ingredients like DEET and picaridin.
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Other ways to get mozzies to buzz off include:
- Dressing in loose-fitting clothes that covers your arms and legs
- Using air conditioning when possible, or making certain that open windows and doors have screens
- Regularly emptying standing water from common backyard items, such as bird baths, flower pots and toys, where mosquitoes can lay their eggs
- Sleeping with a mosquito net where possible