'Fight the Bite' campaign gets in gear

The state Department of Health and the Utah Advertising Federation on Wednesday launched a "Fight the Bite" education campaign to help residents avoid West Nile virus, a potentially deadly mosquito-borne illness.

The virus was detected in the state last year and historically the second year is among the very worst, health officials say, so there's a sense of urgency to the message. But while health officials can track the virus and they can tell people what to do to avoid it, it's up to individuals to get the message out and then put into practice sound prevention measures.

Deseret Morning News graphicWest Nile virusRequires Adobe Acrobat.

The two most effective steps to avoid it, they said during a news conference at the Salt Lake City Western Garden Center, are using mosquito repellents containing DEET (up to 10 percent solution for children 2-12 and 35 percent for adults) from dusk to dawn when the affected mosquitos bite and wearing long pants and long sleeves during those hours when outdoors.

Across the country, 10,000 people have contracted West Nile virus from mosquito bites and 262 have died. One of the most severely affected states, Utah's neighbor Colorado, had more than 3,000 cases and 61 deaths last year, which was its second year.

The federation has teamed with the department to create the campaign, turning the health department's $50,000 into close to $200,000 worth of advertising in the form of a television and radio campaign, augmented by billboards and in-store signage promoting safe practices against the virus. The theme is "Dusk to dawn, put your DEET on."

DEET doesn't kill mosquitoes, but it does confuse them, making potential human victims basically invisible to them.

The TV ads center around two families — The Wrongs and The Rights. When the Wrongs hear that West Nile has reached Utah, they panic and race around doing silly, extraordinary things to protect themselves. The Rights simply apply DEET and cover up, then enjoy their barbecue.

"We urge Utahns to keep a supply of DEET available" in handy spots like the car, the backpack, purses, etc., said Health Department spokeswoman Jana Kettering.

"We do not want Utahns to hide indoors," she added. People need to be active and outdoors to maintain health. But they need to protect themselves when they're outside.