What Are The Best Bug Sprays To Prevent Tick And Mosquito Bites? Is The Insecticide Permethrin Safe To Use?

Answer:
Tickborne illnesses such as Lyme disease have more than doubled in the United States since 2004 (CDC, Tickborne Disease Surveillance Data Summary, Accessed 4/25/22). While mosquitoes in the U.S. often cause nothing more serious than itchy, red bumps (which nevertheless can be an annoyance), they also have the potential to transmit serious diseases such as Zika and West Nile virus (EPA 2021). For these reasons, it is important to know which preventative measures – including bug sprays and other strategies — are most effective at helping avoid insect bites.

Continue reading to learn more, written by Meredith A. Worthington, Ph.D.

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Executive Editor
Meredith A. Worthington, Ph.D.

Dr. Worthington joined ConsumerLab.com in 2020, from Therapeutic Research Center, where she was a director and associate clinical editor. Since 2012, Dr. Worthington been actively involved in critically reviewing literature related to dietary supplements in an effort to provide clear and concise information for healthcare providers and patients about the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplement ingredients. She began her career in dietary supplement research with Natural Standard Research Collaboration and later joined Natural Medicines following acquisition of Natural Standard Research Collaboration by Therapeutic Research Center. She earned her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Texas A&M University in 2009 and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Boston University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 2011. Dr. Worthington has published over 15 articles in peer-reviewed journals.

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