pxm

I was just in Martinique, Saint Martin and Anguilla. In Martinique, the official statistic is that 14% of the population has contracted the virus; however, locals indicate that it is likely much higher as many cases are not reported to the local authorities.

Though I used deet-based and Avon-So-Soft bug repellents during my stay in the islands, and was mostly close to the sea where the prevailing winds were blowing, I still got bitten by mosquitoes many times, especially in Martinique. I guess that I was just fortunate not to have contracted the virus. I did speak with several locals who had the virus and they said that it was absolutely debilitating for a week - you can't do anything and are laid-up in bed.

As an aside, while in Martinique, I purchased an electronic bug zapper that looks like a tennis racket - highly recommended by locals. The trick is to close all of the windows in your room before you go to bed, turn the AC on, and use the zapper to kill any mosquitoes. At first I thought it was a gimmick, but the zapper worked amazingly well at killing any mosquitoes that were in the room and I was not awoken by the unpleasant buzzing sound of mosquitoes.

mkt

Close windows, AC + ceiling fan, kill the mosquitoes. I've got a rechargeable one at home that's the best one I've had.

mkt

Who has two thumbs and chikungunya... This guy.

I got stung in Aguadilla, PR

cynicalbuthopeful

we go to STT every year the first week of September, and returned last week (9/6). There did seem to be an increase in mosquitoes this year (unnamed Christobel had come through as a storm the weekend before we arrived and dumped a lot of rain), but it wasn't overwhelming and we weren't concerned. The locals that we talked to were unconcerned. We were by the water, and the breeze kept the mosquitoes from landing on us. IMO, employ repellent, and enjoy yourself.

mkt

Updating this. It was a quick one. I got sick on Friday, by Sunday I was up and about, and I felt good enough on monday to travel.

deemkaa

mkt - have you used any mosquitoes repellent. Traveling to PR this coming weekend and I'm very much concerned about this problem as my wife attracts mosquitoes like a magnet.

mkt

I'm pretty much bathing in Off, wearing citronella bracelets, two candles (one on my desk one by my feet), a mosquito racket nearby, and a bug zapper above the fridge.

I'm going through relapse #1, and it's lasting longer than the original symptoms, but the pain is not as extreme. In my house, we've had two infections, a total of 23 in my neighborhood (33 houses)

Off is definitely the scent to wear this season in Puerto Rico.

deemkaa

oh my ... that's terrible, are you saying there's no way to protect yourself even with all those products ? I hope this trip doesn't turn into a nightmare. Are there any areas that are better/worse ? Was thinking about visiting Vieques Island, is it possible that it's better there ?
which of the repellents you think works best so far ?

mkt

If I had used those products, I would've been fine. I'm using them now out of consideration to others - so mosquitoes don't bite me and spread it.

The citronella bracelets appear to be the best option.

cheltzel

Do the citronella bracelets seem to provide enough coverage for your whole body? Or would you recommend using them in conjunction with a repellent.

mkt

I've been wearing two, since it's just easier than reapplying off. One on one arm, one on one ankle. Each one lasts 2-3 days.

So far so good.

cheltzel

This sounds like a better alternative than repeatedly spraying your skin with chemicals.

Thanks for sharing!

Update:

I did some research on the citronella bracelets and the results were not positive. The performance of the bracelets was questioned on several sites and I found MosquitoBRO on YouTube who does video reviews of the alternatives to spray on repellents.

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-WBC08Y7Ary_i8ryFZRag

deemkaa

Just got back from a week long stay in Puerto Rico - San Juan/Vieques island. Neither myself or wife got stung by a single mosquito after spraying ourselves every few hours with Cooleman 40% deet, Off Deep Woods 25% deet, applying lavender oil (which also hydrates your skin and smells fantastic)
We were surprised by seeing only 1 or 2 more couples doing the same, other people didn't seem to know or care about it.
If you planning to go to PR, don't hesitate just spray yourself before every time you leave your hotel room. If you're checking your bag in, buy some stuff before you leave (just not in aerosol, which on one of our trips blew up).

JDiver

You rang, sah?

I was bitten ( it's the female mosquitoes that bite - not sting - as they need the blood meal to enhance their reproductive success,) in Vietnam in 1965 and got chikungunya fever. It took a week or ten days to recover, and my symptoms included malaise and fatigue, anorexia, increased sensitivity to olfactory stimulation, fever, splitting headache, rash and considerable joint pain. Not pleasant; I'd put it close in "bother" intensity to dengue (called "breakbone fever" in the old days, because it feels like you've broken some bones). No prophylaxis, no treatment other than treating the symptoms, for either.

You can do that by keeping well hydrated (and maintaining your electrolytes balance - Pedialite or oral rehydration crystals or solution far better than sports drinks like Gatorade, btw), using over the counter meds for pain and to reduce fever. That's pretty much how my chikungunya was treated by armed forces docs.

Just to clarify here - I do not intend to provide any kind of medical advice, nor should my post be considered as such.

I've not curtailed travel plans due to arboviruses, malaria, etc. but I do take some preventive measures, particularly when there's rain (particularly where people live and have various artifacts and junk from discarded containers to tires where water can accumulate and provide mosquitoes with breeding places). We recently spent some time in Saint Martin after a cruise that began and ended in Sint Maarten.

Covering up - long sleeves and trousers (I'm pretty bald, so I wear a hat or cap) - helps, and you can spray the outside of those and socks with permanone / permethrin, a repellent that will persist through several washings.

Then I use an approved repellent on remaining parts of my body exposed to possible bites. DEET to 40% works, but there is some discussion about potential toxicity (particularly with children) as there is some skin penetration. As well, higher concentrations of DEET are hell on plastics - synthetic clothing, fingerprints etched on plastic camera bodies or plastic glasses lenses. Picaridin and a couple of other options exist. Avon Skin-So-Soft and Citronella may not work well in some areas and come off too easily in rainbor sweat conditions because they are not formulated for adherence, whereas many repellents and sunscreens are.

On beaches, particularly if it's breezy, much less of a problem. When we go from beach to nice green areas and the hotel, it's time to cover up. A bit of a PITA, but much less so than chik v or dengue. And I really don't want to give up part of my holiday being painfully sick or evenbrisk havingbtobpay flight change fees, etc. - because you won't feel like doing much with "chik v" or its cousin, dengue.

Read more about chik v (chikungunya virus) here on the U S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are links, and I recommend the Prevention page especially.

I've used these precautions in various areas with mosquito borne diseases (malaria and chloroquine resistant P. falciparum malaria, dengue, "chik v",) including Africa, Vanuatu, PNG etc. successfully (for malaria I take Malarone with me to presumptively treat any malarial symptoms, as opposed to taking it prophylactically).

The only times I've been infected are when I was a kid living at an altitude we thought was safe (malaria), in Vietnam (chik v. - where we didn't know much about anything Vietnamese early on in 1965) and one time not far from the ocean near Chetumal, Mexico where I wore a black tee shirt exploring some forest ruins (dengue).

In the latter (and most recent, perhaps 1988 or so,) experience, my friend was wearing a white tee shirt. He had a few mozzies on him; wearing a black tee shirt, I had squadrons of them. It makes sense predators that suck blood from mammals, like tsetse flies and mozzies, will be attracted more by dark clothes items.

Mayor696

I was infected with the chikungunya virus during our holiday to St Lucia in September, it was provisionally diagnosed by a local doctor and confirmed with blood tests. I am a 53 year old female, normally well and quite fit. The fever and rash only lasted for a few days but the joint pain was much longer, about 8 weeks, and very debilitating, I was treated with Naproxen. The fatigue is still proving to be a much more stubborn problem, I remain unfit for work and expect to do so for at least another month.