The incognito Blog
Guest Blog by Lily Slydel As I left school, in the height of British recession, I noted a dramatic increase in the number of my friends opting to take a gap year instead of immediately pursuing higher education. Entering the world on a quest to discover foreign lands, fantastic foods and most … Continue reading "Getting Away from it All….."
Here at incognito® we believe that the implementation of ethical and sustainable business practices is of upmost importance. This is what sustainability means to us: – A strong and engaged workforce – A clear, communicative supply chain. – Efficient and minimal resource use with maximum value added. – Where possible, use of renewable rather … Continue reading "incognito® and Sustainability"
Mosquitoes are one of the most important groups of insects affecting human’s health and wellbeing – they occupy diverse habitats, breed in our ponds and worst of all can transmit life-threatening diseases. In the best case, they are incredibly irritating. As one in five people are mosquito magnets, I want to look at some of … Continue reading "Top Five Reasons People are Bitten by Insects"
Many doctors and travel nurses in the UK are still recommending DEET to travellers abroad, most of them completely oblivious to the fact that certain mosquitoes have built up resistance or tolerance to this pesticide repellent in the last few years. Fifteen years ago I went to India for the first time armed with the … Continue reading "DEET Resistance, by bite-protection expert Howard Carter"
Farmers, explorers, sportsmen (to name a few) are just some of the trades most commonly affected by Malaria and throughout the ages, many great figures have suffered at its ferocious hands. Fausto Coppi, internationally renowned Italian cyclist often referred to as Il Campionissimo (The champion of champions), is just one of the greats lost to … Continue reading "Is there a correlation between those who get malaria and their trade?"
Despite the term, ‘mosquito bite’, mosquitoes don’t actually open their ravenous jaws to have a nibble on your ankles; it is the proboscis (the long pointed mouthpart) that pierces the skin with its razor sharp end, to get to the delicious blood supply beneath. The proboscis has two tubes, one to withdraw the blood and another to deposit saliva. The way in which we react to mozzie bites is dependent on this saliva and the reaction our body has to the proteins it contains.
Reactions to mosquito bites vary enormously; from mild irritation to potentially life threatening, with a contingent of people not reacting at all to them. This is where many people fall fowl of a common misconception; just because you cannot see or feel bites, does not mean you have not been bitten! This is ok in the UK, but as soon as these people leave the sanctuary of British shores they are even more at risk than the normal population, whose bites itch like crazy.