CDC Announces Nationwide "Fight the Bite" Poster Contest - $1000 Prize
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the DEET Education Program has announced their “Fight the Bite” Poster Contest http://www.fightthebitecontest.org. The contest is for 5th and 6th grade students across the country to submit a poster displaying ways people can protect against tick and mosquito bites and the diseases transmitted through the bites.
Each grade will have a national grand prize winner who will receive a wall plaque and a check for $1,000. State winners will receive a $50 bond and award certificate. The deadline for submitting the poster is April 18, 2011. Rules and entry form for the contest can be found on Fight the Bite’s website at http://www.fightthebitecontest.org/.
The City of Evanston encourages all local poster entries to submit a copy to the Health Department at health@cityofevanston.org as well. Submitted posters will be voted on and winners will be displayed around the city in hopes to spread awareness among Evanston residents.
Ticks and mosquitoes are present across the country and they can create a nuisance while doing work and play outdoors. More importantly, these bugs can transmit serious diseases to both children and adults. Fortunately, preventative measures can be implemented in order for people to continue enjoying outdoor activities.
Awareness of how to prevent bug bites will help to protect people from diseases such as West Nile Virus and Lyme disease. It is estimated that 150 people are infected with West Nile Virus each year due to mosquito bites. Symptoms range in severity but often include a fever, headache, neck stiffness, and neurological effects.
Bites from ticks can result in the transmission of Lyme disease. In 2009, there were approximately 30,000 confirmed cases of Lyme disease. The first sign of infection often appears as a circular rash around the bitten area. Symptoms include fatigue, chills, fever, and headache. If left untreated, the disease can lead to severe chronic arthritis.
The poster contest encourages children to take a proactive approach to preventing bug bites and spread of disease. Simple precautions can be taken such as wearing proper clothing to keep mosquitoes and ticks off skin, dumping out standing water in yards where mosquitoes can lay eggs, and the proper use of insect repellents.
DEET is the world's most widely used active ingredient in insect repellents. The CDC and other leading health authorities have long recommended these repellents. The American Academy of Pediatrics says repellents with up to 30 percent DEET can be used on children as young as two months of age.
More information about diseases spread through mosquito and tick bites, effective repellent use and other prevention strategies can be found at websites such as www.cdc.gov/westnile, www.cdc.gov/lyme and www.deetonline.org. More information can also be obtained by calling Carl Caneva at 847/859-7831 or emailing health@cityofevanston.org.