This post is by Bernie Carr, apartmentprepper.com
There is a lot of concern about the Zika virus in Texas, since the first Zika virus death occurred. A few days ago I got an email from my employer about Zika prevention and it included a flyer from a supplier selling Zika prevention kits.
I thought the pre-made kits were on the pricey side so I decided to write about assembling your own.
What items should be in a Zika prevention kit?
You may already have these items, eliminating the need to buy them. But if you don’t have them, it would be less expensive to to assemble your own. Here are the items that were included in the pre-made kit being advertised at work:
- Permethrin spray – sprayed on clothing to repel mosquitoes, also effective against ticks, chiggers and mites. I actually tested this product and it works.
- Insect repellent – sprayed on skin, also effective on ticks, biting flies, chiggers, fleas, gnats
- DEET wipes– for when you don’t want to carry around spray bottles of mosquito repellent, such as getting on an airplane
- Condoms to prevent sexually transmitted zika infection.
The CDC also recommends using:
- Bed net – use one especially if you are outdoors.
- Standing water treatment tablets
How to protect yourself
Use mosquito repellent to protect yourself when outdoors, and be aware of what attracts mosquitoes. Here’s an article about how to avoid catching it.
If you live in a mosquito infested area, or may be traveling to one, it is better to be prepared just in case.
© Apartment Prepper 2016
