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Travel Medicine and Infectious Diseases
Sunday, 3 July 2016
How To Avoid Bug Bites When Traveling

Bug bites, whether they are from mosquitoes, flies, or ticks, can spread diseases like the Zika virus, Lyme disease, and dengue. These bugs are usually encountered when traveling especially to tropical areas. However, there are ways on how a traveler can avoid bug bites and prevent the spread of deadly diseases.


Avoiding Mosquito Bites

Mosquitoes may look harmless but they are not. These insects can easily spread deadly diseases like malaria, yellow fever, dengue, filariasis, St. Louis encephalitis, and so much more. Mosquito bites can be avoided while traveling through the following:

  • Wear clothes that are long enough to cover the body such as long-sleeved tops and trousers.

  • Mosquitoes can still bite through thin clothing so make sure to use insect repellants and apply them especially on exposed parts of the body.

  • When sleeping in a mosquito-infested area, make sure that there is some form of mosquito protection for you. Use a mosquito net (treated as possible) to protect you from mosquito bites at night.

  • If you’re unsure if mosquito nets are available in places where you’re planning to stay, then it’s best to bring portable and lightweight nets with you. If you haven’t used a mosquito net before, then you can practice prior to departure.

  • Read as much as you can about mosquito bites. Knowledge and/or awareness about them and the effects of their bites can help you make better health choices especially when it comes to avoidance and recognizing symptoms of mosquito-borne diseases.


Avoiding Fly Bites (Blackflies, Tsetse flies, Sandflies)

Like mosquitoes, flies can also be carriers of deadly diseases. Blackflies are carriers of Onchocerciasis and Mansonellosis. Tsetse flies are carriers of trypanosomiasis while sandflies can be carriers of Bartonellosis and Leishmaniasis.


Bites from these flies can be very itchy and painful. But they can be avoided.

  • Seek for local advice when staying in fly-infested areas.

  • Avoid unnecessary exposure in places where there are high cases of diseases from these flies.

  • Wear protective clothing such as long-sleeved tops and long trousers.

  • Spray insect repellant even on covered areas as flies can still bite through thin clothing. Generously spray or apply insect repellant on exposed areas.


Avoiding Tick Bites

Ticks can be carriers of hemorrhagic fever, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and encephalitis. Hence, it’s best to be prepared wherever you may go and know how to protect yourself from these tick bites.


  • Wear protective clothing especially when you go to grassy areas. Ticks usually thrive in these places.

  • Avoid unnecessary exposure to tick-infested areas.

  • Use insect repellant to protect yourself from tick bites. You can spray insect repellant on your clothing.

  • Ticks usually attach to your skin or clothing after getting yourself exposed to grassy areas and then later migrate to warmer areas of your skin such as your groin and axilla. When you see a tick, remove it immediately. Use a tweezer to remove the tick, avoiding as much as possible to squeeze its body. Grab it from its mouthpart.


These tips may sound so simple but they can save your life.

Posted by travelmedicineinfectiousdisease at 6:49 PM EDT
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