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CNN Live Today

Topical Products Repel Mosquitoes

Aired June 05, 2003 - 11:34   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Mosquito season is here in many parts of the country. Besides being a nuisance, there is also some concern about West Nile virus riding along on those wings.
Our technology correspondent, Daniel Sieberg, is with us today to explain what you can do to minimize the risk. Hey, Dan.

DANIEL SIEBERG, TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Leon. That is right. Yesterday we talked about some of the high tech options that people have. You know, you can spend hundreds of dollars on some of these devices that will try and keep the mosquitoes away. We are seeing some if them here Lentek Corporation, American Biophysics Corporation.

We didn't review these devices, but they are meant to keep mosquitoes away from a range of about half an acre to more than an acre. Now, if you don't want to spend all that money, you maybe want to just use some of the more traditional means that are already on the market, you might want to take a look at some of the products we have here on the table, and I'm joined by Dr. Rosmarie Kelly. She is an entomologist at the Georgia Division of Public Health to talk about some of these products, but also about West Nile virus, which is something a lot of people are concerned about.

First off, no pun intended, let's talk about DEET, because we are always hearing about DEET, the levels of DEET that are in some of these products. What do these percentages mean? Is a certain higher percentage a lot better than a lower percentage?

DR. ROSMARIE KELLY, ENTOMOLOGIST: Actually, we recommend 30 percent DEET for adults. If you go much over 30 percent you may get a longer protection time, but you really don't get more protection. It sort of plateaus off. Recommend 10 percent DEET for children over the age of 2. We don't recommend DEET products for children under the age of 2 or for pregnant or nursing mothers.

SIEBERG: And speaking of children, you and I were talking earlier, and again, we're not reviewing these products, but there is a difference. There are sprays, there are lotions. Is one better for kids than the other, for example?

KELLY: I generally recommend lotions for children just because kids tend to move around when you are trying to put products on them. You don't want to get the spray in their eyes. You don't want to get it on their hands so they might put their hands in their mouth. Lotions are a little bit easier to put where you want to put it.

SIEBERG: And these -- do they repel the bugs, or is it just that they are covering up any scent that you've got that they might like?

KELLY: They actually repel. Mosquitoes might actually come to you, but they are repelled by the chemical, by the actual DEET.

SIEBERG: And some of the other products -- here we have got candles, there are coils. A lot of different products that are out there, and everybody is concerned about West Nile. First of all, have we seen any cases of West Nile virus at this point in the season?

KELLY: We haven't had any human cases in Georgia, and Washington state has a probable case. It needs to be confirmed by the CDC but they are saying that they have a probable case.

SIEBERG: And how does that compare to last year? We've seen quite an increase in the last couple of years, but how does that compare to last year this time?

KELLY: It is actually not usual to see West Nile virus human cases this time of year. It is a disease of birds, it needs to build up in the bird population first, and then eventually, it will spill up over into human populations, if you get enough virus out there.

SIEBERG: OK. Well, Dr. Rosmarie Kelly, entomologist at the Georgia Division of Public Health. Thanks so much for joining us.

KELLY: Thank you.

SIEBERG: I won't tell you to bug off. All right. We are going to toss it back over to you, Leon.

HARRIS: All right. Good deal. Thanks, Dan. See you in a bit.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired June 5, 2003 - 11:34   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Mosquito season is here in many parts of the country. Besides being a nuisance, there is also some concern about West Nile virus riding along on those wings.
Our technology correspondent, Daniel Sieberg, is with us today to explain what you can do to minimize the risk. Hey, Dan.

DANIEL SIEBERG, TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Leon. That is right. Yesterday we talked about some of the high tech options that people have. You know, you can spend hundreds of dollars on some of these devices that will try and keep the mosquitoes away. We are seeing some if them here Lentek Corporation, American Biophysics Corporation.

We didn't review these devices, but they are meant to keep mosquitoes away from a range of about half an acre to more than an acre. Now, if you don't want to spend all that money, you maybe want to just use some of the more traditional means that are already on the market, you might want to take a look at some of the products we have here on the table, and I'm joined by Dr. Rosmarie Kelly. She is an entomologist at the Georgia Division of Public Health to talk about some of these products, but also about West Nile virus, which is something a lot of people are concerned about.

First off, no pun intended, let's talk about DEET, because we are always hearing about DEET, the levels of DEET that are in some of these products. What do these percentages mean? Is a certain higher percentage a lot better than a lower percentage?

DR. ROSMARIE KELLY, ENTOMOLOGIST: Actually, we recommend 30 percent DEET for adults. If you go much over 30 percent you may get a longer protection time, but you really don't get more protection. It sort of plateaus off. Recommend 10 percent DEET for children over the age of 2. We don't recommend DEET products for children under the age of 2 or for pregnant or nursing mothers.

SIEBERG: And speaking of children, you and I were talking earlier, and again, we're not reviewing these products, but there is a difference. There are sprays, there are lotions. Is one better for kids than the other, for example?

KELLY: I generally recommend lotions for children just because kids tend to move around when you are trying to put products on them. You don't want to get the spray in their eyes. You don't want to get it on their hands so they might put their hands in their mouth. Lotions are a little bit easier to put where you want to put it.

SIEBERG: And these -- do they repel the bugs, or is it just that they are covering up any scent that you've got that they might like?

KELLY: They actually repel. Mosquitoes might actually come to you, but they are repelled by the chemical, by the actual DEET.

SIEBERG: And some of the other products -- here we have got candles, there are coils. A lot of different products that are out there, and everybody is concerned about West Nile. First of all, have we seen any cases of West Nile virus at this point in the season?

KELLY: We haven't had any human cases in Georgia, and Washington state has a probable case. It needs to be confirmed by the CDC but they are saying that they have a probable case.

SIEBERG: And how does that compare to last year? We've seen quite an increase in the last couple of years, but how does that compare to last year this time?

KELLY: It is actually not usual to see West Nile virus human cases this time of year. It is a disease of birds, it needs to build up in the bird population first, and then eventually, it will spill up over into human populations, if you get enough virus out there.

SIEBERG: OK. Well, Dr. Rosmarie Kelly, entomologist at the Georgia Division of Public Health. Thanks so much for joining us.

KELLY: Thank you.

SIEBERG: I won't tell you to bug off. All right. We are going to toss it back over to you, Leon.

HARRIS: All right. Good deal. Thanks, Dan. See you in a bit.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com