Don’t get bitten by mosquitoes. That’s the advice offered to the public in virtually every article on the rapidly-spreading, mosquito-borne Zika virus. But if you love the outdoors and are a regular hiker, what can you do?
There’s no arguing with the advice. Zika, once considered a relatively mild flu-like illness, has now been linked to a surge in severe birth defects in Brazil and possibly to cases of paralysis.
But anyone who is a mosquito-magnet must be asking: Can humans really keep the blood-sucking bugs at bay?
“DEET” is the immediate one-word answer from Dr. William Reisen, professor emeritus at the School of Veterinary Medicine at U.C. Davis and editor of the Journal of Medical Entomology.
“DEET is the standard,” agrees Dr. Mustapha Debboun, director of the mosquito control division of Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services in Houston. “All the repellents being tested are tested to see if they beat DEET.”
DEET is shorthand for the chemical name N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide. It’s the active ingredient in many insect repellents, which don’t kill mosquitoes but keep them away.
A 2015 study tested eight commercial mosquito repellents, two fragrances and a vitamin B patch by releasing mosquitoes into a sealed chamber with a treated hand.
I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
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