Vector-borne diseases are one of the most common diseases in the world. Annually, these diseases can transmit viruses that can reach numbers similar to that of COVID-19. However, unlike COVID-19, these viruses aren’t transmitted through human interaction but mostly by parasites and insects. Avoiding these vector-borne diseases isn’t a matter of using preventive measures against them. You’ll have to alter your general lifestyle if you want to keep yourself protected.
What are Vector-borne Diseases?
Vector-borne diseases are types of human illnesses carried by parasites and insects. These can be bacterial or viral in nature. The problem is that unlike most bacterial or viral infections from animals, the carriers of these diseases are almost invisible to the naked eye. In most cases, the host itself doesn’t experience any adverse effects from its carrying disease. We don’t see its effects on the host until it has transferred it to a human being.
Vector-borne diseases are quite fatal, accounting for more than 700,000 fatalities annually. They are usually found in tropical and subtropical areas. But this doesn’t mean that the US is safe. One of the most common vector diseases in the US is Dengue. Avoiding this disease can be challenging. One way you can stop them entirely is through pest control.
Pest Control
As stated earlier, dengue is one of the most common vector-borne diseases in the US. The main carrier of this disease is mosquitoes. So the very first thing you should do is hire someone capable of handling this particular pest for good.
Many of these carriers can live in your household, and they have a high possibility of transmitting the disease to you or any of your family members in one bite. Mosquito control professionals can stop this from happening. They’ll first look into locations that might breed these pests. Then they will exterminate these carriers from your home. Right after, they might recommend ways that you can stop them from coming back.
Pest control is one of the best home services you can hire when protecting yourself and your family against vector-borne diseases. However, the carriers of these diseases can be found almost anywhere, but living a lifestyle appropriate to countering the carriers of these diseases should give you enough protection against them. Here are some ways you can do that.
Wear Clothes That Fully Cover Parts of Your Body
Clothing is your first protection against vector-borne disease carriers. Bites are one of the main ways they transfer various diseases to human beings, and if they can’t find their way into your skin, they can’t bite you. You don’t necessarily need to wear multiple layers of clothing to keep you safe. One layer is good enough as long as you don’t show too much exposed skin. Sweaters, pants, and polo shirts are good choices. Wearing socks and shoes is also good.
Insect Repellent
Insects are the main carriers of vector-borne diseases, and one way to counter them is by applying insect repellents on your skin, especially when you’re camping out. If you find your skin getting too dry because of the chemicals in your repellent, consider buying a repellent with a built-in moisturizer. If you’re feeling a bit creative, you can create your own natural insect repellent when you’re out in the woods. Cinnamon oil, thyme oil, and lavender are all good insect repellents and won’t irritate your skin.
Get Monthly Check-ups
Monthly check-ups are proactive ways to keep yourself healthy against vector-borne diseases because there are instances where you might have been bitten by one of the carriers of these kinds of diseases but not know about it. Some of these diseases have an incubation period where people infected by the disease show little to no symptoms. This can last for a couple of weeks. After which, more severe symptoms start to develop. This can lead to complications and eventually fatalities. If you don’t want this to happen, get monthly check-ups when you can.
Eat Healthily and Exercise When You Can
Most vector-borne diseases have no known cure. So our main defense against vector-borne diseases is our immune system. If our immune system is jeopardized because of unhealthy living, we will likely suffer the most severe symptoms of these diseases. You and your family must eat a healthy diet and keep your weight at a safe level if you want to ensure that your immune system can fight these diseases when you get infected.
Vector-borne diseases are dangerous, and they can infect anyone from anywhere in the globe. Our main line of defense is our health and our lifestyle. By following these tips, you can keep yourself safe against these diseases, and hopefully, you might never encounter them in your entire life.