The insect population

The following is a copy of my posting to the Brazil Forum about mosquitoes, which are a problem in all tropical and subtropical countries. They're ever present and you will need to use a strong insect repellent. The information will help you regarding the prevention of diseases. Of course you should never self-medicate, you should always consult a Medical Doctor before embarking on any course of treatment.

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Hello everybody,

Yellow Fever & Dengue:

The Aedes aegypti is the carrier of the diseases: Dengue and Yellow Fever in Brazil. While the Brazilian government does not presently require vaccination against Yellow Fever for those coming to this country it is highly advisable, especially if you are going to travel to states in the north and north-east. Ideally vaccination should be done at least 10 days prior to travel to Brazil. Vaccination remains effective for 10 years.

There is no vaccine to prevent Dengue Fever so your only hope there is prevention, avoid the mosquitoes that are the carrier. Here you are completely dependent on a strong insect repellent as your line of defense. You should always take the necessary precautions to eliminate all areas that are conducive to the breeding of the mosquito, eliminate all exposed and standing water sources.

Malaria:

The Anopheles mosquito is responsible for the transmission of Malaria. If you have no problem with Tetracycline type drugs then it is recommended that you take daily doses of Doxycycline in order to prevent contracting Malaria. Usually one should take 100 mg once a day starting a few days before coming to Brazil, for the duration of the visit and continue taking the medication for at least 4 weeks after leaving. See the following link for further information:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3062442/

getting there wrote:

Hi after moving to an area where there is a huge insect population mainly mosquitoes and black flies I have become very concerned about them.  I had not considered them to be much of a problem and now I do because of the reaction that I have to them.  Are there areas in Ecuador that are relatively free of them and which areas would you recommend that I avoid.  Thank you.

Where are you living? I'm going to presume the coast, because I have not noticed any mosquitoes or flies in Quito (possibly not hot enough for them?). If you don't mind the cooler temps and the altitude, you might consider moving to the Andean region, if the bugs are too annoying.

Hi I am presently in Manitoba Canada and here it is pretty wild with the fish flies and mosquitoes along with black flies that take a pretty big bite.  As I react quite strongly to the bites it would be good to know a bit before I go.  Thanks

I have too agree with Bob. I live in Cuenca, and have yet to see a mosquito, which is a very nice change from my native Minnesota. About the only insect I see here are houseflies, which are much smaller than the variety I saw in The US.
The lack of mosquitoes in Cuenca is due to the cooler climate and high elevation.
Regards,
Neil

I am considering either Vilcabamba or Otavalo. Can anyone tell me what the difference is, if any, in the insect population?