KROEGER ASSOCIATES, INC.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Edward Tate, 215-504-2035 or
Judi Anderson, 800-789-3300
Jan. 26, 2006 ed@kroegerpr.com, judia@kroegerpr.com For: DEET Education Program.
National “Fight the Bite” Poster Contest Launched by
CDC and DEET Education Program
Raising Awareness about Preventing Mosquito Bites and the
Potential for Illness is the Primary Goal
Aimed at raising awareness of the best ways to prevent mosquito bites and the diseases they can cause, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and DEET Education Program, in collaboration with the Weekly Reader, today announced the first annual “Fight the Bite” poster contest for fifth and sixth graders nationwide.
Students are being invited to create posters that encourage children and adults to protect against mosquitoes and ticks. Weekly Reader’s Jan. 26 issue informed teachers nationwide about the contest. Details are on the popular children’s magazine’s Web site at www.weeklyreader.com/fightthebite and at www.fightthebitecontest.org.
Dr. Julie Gerberding, CDC director, said: “We want young people to understand that mosquito and tick bites are more than just a minor nuisance because these pests can sometimes transmit serious infections to people. We want children and adults to take preventive measures that include wearing appropriate clothing, avoiding place where mosquitoes breed and using insect repellents. These steps help to avoid being bitten by mosquitos and ticks. These are measures that we at CDC, along with our public health colleagues nationwide, have promoted for years.”
While West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-borne disease nationally, La Crosse encephalitis and other infections spread by mosquitoes are a greater threat to children. Lyme disease, which is the most frequently diagnosed disease resulting from tick bites, and less common tick-borne infections such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, can make children seriously ill.
“We are delighted to be working with the CDC and Weekly Reader on this important educational initiative,” said Susan Little, executive director of the DEET Education Program, which operates under the auspices of the Consumer Specialty Products Association. “We hope this poster contest will get the attention of fifth and sixth graders and their teachers, as well as reach their parents, siblings and neighbors. People need to realize that mosquito and ticks bites carry the very real risk of serious infection. We encourage everyone to take the simple precautions that CDC recommends to help avoid them.”
A panel of judges from the sponsors and the education community will review the entries and select two winners from each state: one fifth grader and one in sixth. Each state winner will receive a $50 U.S. Savings Bond and certificate. Two Grand Prize winners will be chosen—one from each grade—and they will receive a $1,000 savings bond. The two national winners and their parents will be invited, all expenses paid, to a May 17 awards ceremony at CDC’s Atlanta headquarters.
Available domestically since 1957, DEET is the world’s most widely used active ingredient for insect repellents.
“DEET has long been the gold standard for effectiveness against mosquitoes, ticks and many other insects and has been used by consumers with confidence for 50 years,” Little said, noting that no other repellent products have been used or studied more extensively than those with DEET.
The CDC and other authorities have long recommended DEET-based repellents. The American Academy of Pediatrics says repellents with up to 30 percent DEET can be used on children over two months of age.
The DEET Education Program is sponsored by Clariant Corp., Schering-Plough Corp., S.C. Johnson & Sons Inc., Spectrum Brands (part of United Industries), 3M Company and Vertellus Inc.