CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

Buying the right repellent

Erie Times-News - 5/20/2018

Tick and mosquito bites are more than a nuisance; the tiny bugs can transmit illnesses including Lyme disease, and Zika and West Nile viruses.

Lyme disease is a particular concern in Erie County, where 355 cases have been reported since January 2016. The tick-spread illness can cause facial palsy, severe headaches and neck stiffness, joint pain, heart problems, and brain and spinal cord inflammation if left untreated.

The best protection against tick and mosquito bites, besides staying indoors all spring and summer, is to use insect repellent, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Some repellents work better than others at preventing bites, however, and others don't work at all.

The Federal Trade Commission recently cautioned people about perfume-like repellent sprays and candles made by Aromaflage. The company said its products protect users from mosquito bites, and customer reviews on Amazon.com praised the product.

But FTC officials said in a news release that the company didn't base its claims on solid scientific evidence and some of the "customers" who posted reviews on Amazon.com were, in fact, the company's owners and their family members.