Zika is a virus spread mostly by mosquitoes that has been shown to cause severe birth defects in the children of women who have been infected. The virus has been spreading fast in South America, and the World Health Organization has created an Emergency Team to try and curb the virus' spread, as HNGN previously reported. To help people protect themselves, Consumer Reports has released its ratings of bug sprays to everyone, not only to its subscribers, reported CBS.
The best-performing sprays were Sawyer Fisherman's Formula Picaridin, Repel Lemon Eucalyptus, Repel Scented Family, Natrapel 8 Hours and Off! Deepwoods VIII. The active ingredients in these products are Deet, picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus. You can view Consumer Reports' full chart on bug sprays here. These repelled mosquitoes more effectively and for a longer time after application.
Zika has affected the tourism industries in Latin America. Travellers are changing flights, and airlines like Lufthansa and British Airways are providing refunds and exchanges, reported CNN. Zika has spread to 25 countries, many of which are popular for travellers seeking to get away from winter's chill. There is no vaccine available to prevent contracting Zika, so women that are seeking to get pregnant are concerned with the safety of travel to these areas.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised pregnant women to avoid travelling to the affected areas. Zika has been shown to cause no symptoms to the person bitten but seems to cause microcephaly in the babies born to them. This link has not been fully verified and is still being investigated in Brazil, where 4,000 cases have come up, reported Reuters.
Microcephaly is a birth defect that leaves a baby with an abnormally small head and developmental issues.
