Double threat: A new dengue-carrying mosquito species emerges

Among arthropods, none is more dangerous than the mosquito.
By transmitting deadly diseases to people, this little insect is responsible for around two to three million deaths every year.

And among all killer diseases spread by the mosquito, few are deadlier than dengue.

MOMS have a new partner in protecting their kids against dengue: Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion is clinically proven to be effective against day-biting and night-biting dengue-lamok. It is gentle on the skin, hypoallergenic and lasts for 8-10 hours per application. It is safe for kids as young as six months

Every year, WHO estimates a whopping 50-100 million people all over the world fall victim to dengue fever. And every year, 20,000 of these victims end up dead.

Many of them are children and the elderly because, as DOH regional medical dengue coordinator for Metro Manila Dr. Manuel Mapue explained, the immune systems of these groups are weaker than the rest of the population.

Thus, every year, the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Health (DOH), and parents launch full-vigilance defensive campaigns against dengue. We have vigorously guarded our children against daytime mosquito bites, subscribing to the traditional belief that only daytime-biting mosquitoes are dengue carriers.

But Dr. Barbara Laviña Caoili, an entomologist, has bad news: Dengue is not restricted to daytime-biting mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti alone. The truth is there is another mosquito species, Aedes albopictus, that is a known secondary dengue vector that bites from day to night. A laboratory study showed that Ae. albopictus bites most aggressively from the late afternoon hours to evening. Thus, the danger of dengue can now be more serious, since its transmission can occur both during the day and at night.”

This means that the threat of dengue infection is now as great during the nighttime as it is during the daylight hours. This also means that we cannot ever let our guard down against dengue. While some of us used to heave a sigh of relief once the sun went down, thinking our kids were already safe from dengue, we now have to maintain dengue protection from both day and night-biting mosquitoes for our children and ourselves.

DENGUE is a threat during the day and at night, as well. Researchers warn that families should protect themselves from Aedes aegypti, the daytime dengue-lamok, and from Aedes albopictus, the nighttime dengue-lamok.  Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion is the only clinically proven insect repellent that is effective against both daytime and nighttime dengue-lamok

One of the most effective ways to protect ourselves from dengue is by using an insect repellent lotion. Unlike mosquito nets, which limit our mobility and (ironically) deprive us of protection the moment we go outdoors, where the threat of dengue mosquito bites is highest, an effective mosquito repellent lotion provides protection wherever we go. It is convenient to apply, safe and easy to use as it does not limit our mobility at all.

And since the threat of dengue is now from both day- and night-biting mosquitoes, it is important that the repellent we use is effective against both species of mosquitoes, to provide the round-the-clock protection we need.

Among all the available mosquito repellents in the Philippines today, only one has been scientifically proven to be effective against both day- and night-biting mosquitoes: the new Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion. This product is guaranteed to give long-lasting protection to you and your family against day and night dengue mosquitoes.. It is effective for up to 10 hours on a single application, it is convenient and economical to use. And because it is hypoallergenic, it is safe to apply every day on our children.

On top of all that, the new Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion also gives antibacterial protection, which the Green Cross brand has always been known for. With proper use of the Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion, we can keep our family protected from dengue and other mosquito-transmitted diseases, not just during the daylight hours but even all throughout the night.

Dengue outbreaks may leave state budgets to suffer and cause distress among affected families, but with Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion, every parent can start feeling empowered against the dreaded dengue disease. When properly applied along with good domestic habits and community initiatives like regular clean-ups of possible breeding grounds for mosquitoes, dengue cases may be lessened if not totally prevented.