Humid weather sees increase in mosquito bites (From The Argus)

Humid weather sees increase in mosquito bites

3:00pm Thursday 30th August 2012 in News

Humid weather sees increase in mosquito bites

People are coming under increased attacks from mosquitoes.

Readers have told The Argus about their experiences following our report on how the hot and humid weather has led to a sharp rise in bugs across the county.

Mother-of-six Lorraine Harman ended up going to hospital after a severe reaction to a bite.

She was told by doctors the swelling to her face was among the worst they had seen.

The 45-year-old had been bitten several times around her eyes while asleep at home in Worthing.

Mrs Harman went to a pharmacist who recommended she go to Worthing Hospital as she would need steroids to treat her injuries.

She said: “They said they had never seen it so bad. It was really painful.

“It has got better now but my children have also been bitten and have been suffering.

“My daughter Mia, who is 13, was badly bitten last year which left her with scarring and it has happened again this year.”

The family believe the guttering in their roof may be acting as a breeding ground for the mosquitoes.

Mrs Harman said: “We’ve had the antihistamines and the treatment but it is really nasty and painful.

“We keep finding dead mosquitoes around. It certainly seems to be worse this year than before.”

Twice bitten

Carol Cliff, 52, of Fort Road, Newhaven, has been bitten twice in the last two weeks.

She said: “The first was on my arm and that really spread and became painful. It was horrible.

“Then as soon as that one had cleared I got bitten again on the hand.

“I've never seen it as bad as this. I’ve certainly never been bitten before and now it has happened twice.

“There seem to be loads of them everywhere. You can hear them buzzing around at night.”

Pharmacists are reporting that scores of people are looking for treatment for painful reactions to bites in the last six to eight weeks.

They are warning people to take extra precautions and get bites treated to reduce the chances of them becoming infected.

Health bosses say the number of cases of people being bitten is higher than in previous years and believe it is partly down to the muggy weather.

The Health Protection Agency says the public can take simple steps to make sure they reduce any biting nuisance in their own gardens, such as not leaving stagnant water lying around in pots or paddling pools as these are good habitats for mosquitoes.