The Bug Files
I was so happy when the warm weather finally came to Wuhan. Now, I’m not sure I’m enjoying it. The first night back from Máchéng (麻城) I was bitten five times. They form what looks like a 5-star Big Dipper. It was strange, the next morning I noticed five red dots all on my left arm. They weren’t itchy, they were just there. Then… the next morning, it happened! Non-stop itchiness and swelling from all that itching. It was like the bites lay dormant for 20 hours and then hit you like a Maglev train filled with the itchies. I don’t remember mosquito bites ever being this unbearable. It could be because each bite is within 3 cm of each other so it’s like one big mosquito bite over my entire wrist/hand. Today, I’m at 27 bites: 14 on my left arm, 4 on my right arm, 6 on my left leg, 2 on my right leg, 1 on my cheek! I think that’s more than all the mosquito bites I’ve ever had until now! I’m not doing my part in reducing the mosquito population. I have a feeling I’m a major contributor of proteins for mosquito egg shells… thankfully, no signs of a fatal West Nile Virus infection. “I strong like bull!”
Action: Remedies for Mosquito Bites
- Over 40 Mosquito Bite Itch Relief Tips on TipNut.com
After looking up remedies for mosquito bites, the recurring remedies involve the use of:
- alcohol (e.g., rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer, mouthwash)
- vinegar
- toothpaste
- hot water
- dry soap
- saline water (i.e., salt water)
- antihistamine
Other than slowly tearing the skin off my left arm, I have been dabbing white flower oil (白花油) onto the bites even though it’s not meant for bites. I happen to have some around the apartment. I bought it when I was in Hong Kong during the National Day holiday. I can’t remember why I bought it, maybe I had a mosquito bite then too… It cools the bite down, like Vick’s Vaporub, and it seems to keep my mind off of the itching for a while. The smell is strong but I’m used to it. It says I’m suppose to avoid broken skin, I’ve broken my skin from all the scratching… and it says to avoid the eyes, I accidentally rubbed it into my eyes today…I’m okay though! “I strong like bull!”
I tried a burning-hot bath. It was soo comfortable after my skin got used to the burning sensation. Unfortunately, a couple hours after my bath the itching came back.
I went shopping today and spent four hours travelling to and from Hànkǒu (汉 口) by bus. The heat, sweatiness and constant brushing up against clothes and bags irritated the bites, I must’ve looked odd and scary ripping my left arm apart.
Prevention: Not Getting Bitten is the Best Remedy
- How to Prevent Mosquito Bites on TipNut.com
As abstinence is to baby-free and STD-free, not getting bitten is to itch-free and West Nile-free.
- Stop breathing. Mosquitoes are attracted to CO2.
- Wear light-coloured clothes. Darker clothes attract mosquitoes.
- Avoid scented anything (e.g., body lotion, perfume).
- DEET is L33T. Use it on clothing or skin–not on damaged skin.
- Eucalyptus-based repellents. The oil of the eucalyptus plant has been shown to be highly effective in repelling mosquitoes. Non-toxic!
- Garlic powder and water paste. You can even make a garlic powder-water solution and spray it over the lawn, some say it works.
I should buy a mosquito net for my bed, I saw some today while I was walking around in Hànkǒu (汉 口) but they looked so big and I didn’t feel like carrying it on a 2-hour bus ride, so I decided against it. I have a king-sized bed, the mosquito nets are pretty big.
West Nile Virus and You
- West Nile Virus on Wikipedia
- West Nile Virus on PHAC
- West Nile Virus on CDC
Not only are mosquito bites uncomfortable but they can be fatal too. Some mosquitoes are carriers of malaria or West Nile Virus (WNV). In most cases, WNV is not fatal. Eighty percent of infected individuals don’t experience any symptoms at all. The 20 percent that do may experience these symptoms that last from a few days to several weeks:
- fever
- headache
- body aches
- nausea
- vomiting
- swollen lymph glands
- skin rashes
About one in 150 infected individuals will win the bad-luck lottery and develop severe symptoms:
- high fever
- headache
- neck stiffness
- stupor
- disorientation
- coma
- tremors
- convulsions
- muscle weakness
- vision loss
- numbness
- paralysis
These symptoms can last several weeks and the effects on the brain can be permanent–the symptoms are due to the swelling of the brain caused by the infection.
Did you know that humans are a dead-end host for the virus? There’s a very low chance that mosquitos will get infected by drinking blood from a human infected with the virus because our immune system doesn’t allow it to multiply enough.[*]
Why Does it Itch?
Why Do Mosquito Bites Itch? from WiseGeek.com
When the female mosquitos come to suck your blood, it injects an anticoagulent mixed in with her saliva. It’s to stop your blood from clotting while it sucks your blood. Handy. Your immune system responds to the saliva left behind by the mosquito and sets off an allergic response–itching and swelling. Over time and bites, some people stop having allergic reactions to the bites. I’m crossing my fingers that that will happen to me in the next couple days because I look like I have smallpox on the left side of my body. It’s 33 degrees outside, I’m wearing short-sleeved shirts to school, I can’t hide them or I’d be heading for a serious case of heat stress.
Tags: bite, itch, mosquito, prevention, remedy, West Nile Virus, WNV
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