Staying Safe from West Nile Virus

Summer is nearly here, and so are the mosquitos.  According to the CDC:

West Nile virus (WNV) is most commonly transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. You can reduce your risk of being infected with WNV by using insect repellent and wearing protective clothing to prevent mosquito bites. There are no medications to treat or vaccines to prevent WNV infection. Fortunately, most people infected with WNV will have no symptoms. About 1 in 5 people who are infected will develop a fever with other symptoms. Less than 1% of infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, neurologic illness.

An important study, conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, tested a mix of  lemon eucalyptus essential oil other natural repellents and to DEET. Two of the natural repellents, (1) was made from the Neem tree and (2) another from a mix of other oils, were found to be ineffective. A 15 percent DEET compound performed better, providing about 85 percent protection from bites. Most importantly, the lemon eucalyptus oil was the BEST repellent of ALL tested!   the Lemon Eucalyptus Oils provided 97%  protection over four hours.  Why Lemon eucalyptus oil??? 

This oil works so well because its main naturally occurring constituent p-menthane-3,8-diol or sometimes called PMD, blocks mosquitoes the ability to sense human presence.  The oil masks or covers otherwise attracting signals like carbon dioxide and lactic acid. 

This is GREAT news for those looking for a less toxic alternative to DEET.  Lemon Eucalyptus can be irritating to the skin so be sure you are diluting properly before use!
Enjoy your summer!

Ninette Jackson
Clinical Aromatherapist 
Josiah's Oils
8 Meadow Lane, Lancaster, PA
​www.josiahsoils.com

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