Blog Post

The Blizzard of Moz? 

Mosquitoes. Loathe them or hate them, they are all around us. If you want to enjoy the late summer evenings outdoors, you’d best be prepared. 

Whether you spend summer at home or holiday abroad this year, mosquitoes are there, too. Maybe you watched clouds of them around external lights, heard their high pitched whine while in bed, or had a close encounter of the third kind - and a maddening red bite mark to prove it. 

As National Geographic explains, the UK hosts more than 30 species of mosquito, and there are more than 3,600 globally including dense populations in the Arctic, and Greenland. With 110 trillion mosquitoes swarming around us they outnumber people by 16,000 to one (good luck keeping that at bay with a citronella candle).

World’s biggest killer.

Thanks to diseases like malaria, dengue fever and Zika, they’ve probably killed more than half the humans who ever lived and still claim around 725,000 people a year. So, they’re an issue. But should we make a big deal out of such a little bug? 

In short, yes and no. Unless you live in or plan to visit a malaria ‘at-risk’ area - there’s an NHS map to help you spot the at-risk at sites - you should be safe from the disease, if not the bite. There’s currently no malaria in the UK and it’s not contagious. Most mozzies are more interested in other animals, fewer than 200 species bite, and it’s only the females that even do that. But that’s not the full story. 

Getting that summer buzz…

If there’s one species that’s thankful for climate change in general, and this summer’s warm and damp conditions specifically, it’s the mosquito - the word means ‘little fly’ in Spanish. The Mirror warns of a mozzie apocalypse, and an increased risk of disease as some of the more troublesome species have migrated to our shores. So there’s no room for complacency.  

Bearing in mind the scale of the threat, and the contrasting size of an individual insect, it’s difficult to mitigate against being bitten. A full hazmat suit is no-one’s idea of summer wear. So, it’s best we learn to live with them. 

The NHS advice around bites and stings doesn’t single out mosquitoes for special mention so the usual advice around keeping the bite clean and treating with antihistamine cream holds good. The advice about not scratching the bite is well intentioned but if you’ve been bitten, that’s easier said than done. If you know, you know.

Protect and survive.

A number of simple and practical steps will help you avoid the polka dot effect we see so often on holidaymakers’ skin in August. 

• Hotspot or notspot? Check your holiday destination against the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control online maps. 
• Repel with a smell: effective and readily available from your supermarket or pharmacy, insect repellants especially those including DEET. 
• Keep it light. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark coloured clothing, possibly because they replicate the shadows in which they thrive. 
• Net gain: physical barriers, like a fine mesh, will keep them off if the drugs don’t work. Check if your accommodation has one or even better, bring your own. 
• Choose carefully what time of day you go out as mosquitoes are usually active more during the evening time, so bear that in mind. 

In summary

Unless you have a weakened immune system then the problem’s only skin deep. Protect yourself and you can enjoy your summer evening, whether there are mozzies around or not. But if you do, you may experience a more severe reaction such as swollen lymph nodes or even hives. If that’s the case, and symptoms worsen, visit your nearest pharmacy or book an appointment with your GP

At Coda Pharmacy we deliver NHS prescriptions across England for free, if you want to know more please visit us on www.codapharmacy.co.uk

Thanks for reading and please remember to share if you have found this helpful

Coda Team