SALT LAKE CITY -- A Consumer Report Study tested 16 different mosquito bug repellents and found three to be the most effective: Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, 30 percent Deet, and Picaridin.
Dr. Carrie Byington, a University of Utah Pediatrics Infectious Disease professor, is the head of the United States Olympic Committee, and she agreed that two of those repellents are worth recommending.
“We recommend a Deet or Picaridin," Byington said. "Mosquito repellent is very important, especially for those individuals who are in a reproductive age group or those wanting to become pregnant."
Byington said both repellents are safe for pregnant women.
“If you know you're going to be in an area where mosquitoes are, making sure that you're covered up--long sleeves and long pants are important," she said. "Making sure you've used mosquito repellent and that you carry extra repellent with you, and it's important that you apply that repellent.”
She said there is no vaccine yet for Zika, but there are currently vaccines for other mosquito-borne diseases like Dengue and Yellow Fever.
“There is a great deal of hope that a vaccine can be created for the Zika virus,” Byington said.
