Stay safe this holiday season with Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion

MANILA, Philippines - According to the Department of Health’s Dengue Surveillance Report, a significant 12.94 percent increase in dengue cases has been reported in the first nine months of 2012.

Last year, a total of 84,244 cases were reported during the same period.  Several factors may have contributed to the increasing threat of dengue.

Many people believe that dengue mosquitoes only bite during the day. This is the Aedes aegypti species which attacks most aggressively during daytime. 

Recent studies though have found that a new species of dengue-carrying mosquito, which once only lived in the forest far from human habitation, has now also invaded places where humans reside. This is the Aedes albopictus which bites most aggressively from late afternoon to evening. 

This means the threat of dengue is no longer limited to daytime mosquito bites, but may also be transmitted through nighttime mosquito bites as well.

Another factor that contributes to the increase of dengue cases in the country is the settlement of human population into the natural habitat of dengue mosquitoes.

Ae. albopictus, for instance, is known to live in the woods. With more forested areas being developed into residential projects, people are moving into the natural habitats of these mosquitoes, increasing the exposure of people to Ae. albopictus.

Dengue is all the more a threat, thus families should take all possible precautions to defend themselves from this killer disease. Although dengue can afflict people of all ages, children are the most susceptible because their immune systems are not as resilient as healthy adults.

First line of defense

Unfortunately, there are still no approved vaccines for the dengue virus. Thus, prevention depends on personal protection from the bites of mosquitoes. 

A proven protection against mosquitoes is the new Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion. Especially formulated to give complete protection from both day and night dengue mosquito bites, it offers up to 10 hours protection per application. 

It also has an antibacterial formulation clinically proven to kill up to 99.9 percent of disease-causing germs which the Green Cross brand has always been known for. 

And just recently, to fully orient families of the increasing cases of dengue and on how to defend oneself against both day and night dengue-carrying mosquitoes, Green Cross launched the Green Cross School Crashers in Metro Manila schools.

The main objective of the campaign is to help parents and kids level up their protection against dengue through fun and interactive educational experience. 

Through the Green Cross School Crashers, kids get acquainted with the two dengue-carrying mosquitoes, learn proper ways to defend themselves against the spread of virus, and bring home dengue defense kit materials they may share at home.