An Hidalgo County official says a mix of baby oil with eucalyptus oil serves as an alternative to conventional repellant for those allergic to combat mosquito-borne diseases.
The suggestion comes after the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court confirmed three cases of the West Nile virus and four cases of the Dengue virus in the county in an Aug. 29 news release.
The cases were confirmed over a 10- to 14-day period before the news release, according to Eduardo Olivarez, the chief administrative officer of Hidalgo County Health & Human Services.
“We went and coordinated with the state and set up mosquito traps in [the infected] areas and near their homes, and around their neighborhoods, and started collecting mosquito samples,” Olivarez said. “All the mosquito tests came back negative, so that gave us the indication that the cases may have been travel-related.”
Despite the cases being labeled as travel-related, Olivarez explained the illnesses are nothing new.
“Every year we have Dengue cases, the West Nile virus–not as frequently,” he said. “I think the last [time] we had a case was three years ago. It’s something common here in the [Rio Grande] Valley once you start getting into the fall season.”
Along with the commonality of the viruses themselves, the symptoms that can manifest may seem familiar when compared to other common illnesses as well, according to Christopher Vitek, a UTRGV associate professor of biology.
“The symptoms for a lot of these mosquito-borne diseases are very generic,” Vitek said. “We sort of refer to them as flu-like symptoms. You might have some achy bones, achy joints. There’s not really going to be any sort of congestion or anything along those lines.”
According to Olivarez, the peak of mosquito seasons in the Valley is in September, October and November. Because it is so hot, mosquitoes are more active during the early mornings and late evenings when it is cooler outside.
“Depending on the weather, they can get pretty bad, especially during the night when people could be out celebrating,” mathematics sophomore Alfonso Jimenez said.
In order to limit harmful exposure to mosquitoes and keep the populations in the area down, the county suggests taking precautions.
“We make sure we maintain our yards, cut our grass, remove standing water, and make sure we have good screens on our doors,” Olivarez said.
He also recommends avoiding outdoor activity during the peak hours of mosquito activities and to wear long, lightweight shirts and pants.
He said in addition to the fumigation efforts the county is taking in fighting mosquito populations, residents can purchase household chemical products that directly attack mosquito larva.
“People can actually buy larvicide, which are these little tablets that you can put in your plants or your bird feeders,” he said. “It’s very effective because one tablet may kill thousands of larva.”
For more information regarding the viruses and how to protect against mosquitoes, visit the Hidalgo County website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
