How Leishmaniasis Can Be Prevented

Here are some ways by which you can prevent Leishmaniasis and save yourself from all the trouble associated with it!

A good holiday at the beach may be fun and enjoyment except for a few scratchy bites over the body but it might turn into a nightmare overnight if we are not careful. It is best to visit the beach in the middle of the morning or sometime during the noon because before that the mites would be active. It is best not to visit the beach after immediate showers when the sand fly's are extremely agitated and might launch at anyone in the vicinity.

Sand flies get the parasite from biting rodents like rats and they act as a carrier agent transferring the parasite to the human body. It us usually about a quarter of the size of a mosquito and is difficult to see. It is identifiable by the seven segmented body and long legs. They can jump to great heights of 40cms but usually attacks victims who are lying down and the bites are usually seen in clumps around the ankles. Hence it is virtually very rare to see a sand fly bite in the upper body. The under side of the thigh are the most vulnerable areas for the attack and hence strong insect repellent creams have to be used in areas of probable bites. Insect repellent with grades of 30-40% DEET are considered effective for about 4 hours after which they have to be applied again.

Children should be sprayed with lower concentration of DEET insect repellent. Sand flies are most active during the night time and the percentage of contracting an infection from a single infected sand fly is a hundred!

It is best to avoid outdoor activities in areas of sand fly infestation to save yourself the trouble. Wearing long pants or shirts and socks, using a beach towel instead on lying on the sand, staying in air conditioned or well-screened rooms can help in reducing the probability of the attack. Spraying the clothes, living and sleeping areas with insecticide like permethrin would be effective against the flies for a few months. Clothes should be sprayed with permethrin once after every four or five washes to be effective. A fine net mesh around the bed would prove safe from the flies. Since the flies are smaller than a mosquito it should be seen that mesh is fine enough to prevent stray flies from entering.

Adventure travelers, bird watchers, researchers, peace workers and unwary holiday travelers are usually the ones to get infected. Its also seen that males are more susceptible to the attack rather than females and that some forms of leishmania parasites attack young children of the pediatric group more than the adults. The social isolation and outcast effect which can occur from the seriously disfiguring scars and flesh infection can cause vast psychological problems. As of now there has been vaccine developed to combat Leishmaniasis. A good insect repellent cream will save you the cost of Leishmaniasis treatment and care and also from a bunch of ugly scars.