{
  "id": 6608146,
  "title": "Most Americans know how to control mosquitoes, but many are unsure how to use insect repellent",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/most-americans-know-how-to-control-mosquitoes-but-many-are-unsure-how",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-10T16:00:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-americans-mosquitoes-unsure-insect-repellent.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center reveals that while most Americans know the best way to prevent mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile virus and dengue fever is to avoid mosquito bites and control mosquitoes around the home, many are unsure how to properly use insect repellent. According to the Annenberg Science and Public Health survey, 82% of U.S. adults correctly identified preventing mosquito bites and controlling mosquitoes as the best defense against these diseases. However, only about a third of respondents knew the correct order to apply sunscreen and insect repellent together, as recommended by the CDC. Less than a fifth knew that insect repellent should not be applied under clothing, and only 18% recognized that the repellent should be EPA-registered. Despite the importance of taking precautions to prevent mosquito bites, only 16% of Americans expressed concern about contracting West Nile virus or dengue fever in the next three months.",
  "summary": "More than 8 in 10 U.S. adults know that preventing mosquito bites and controlling mosquitoes in and around the home is the best defense against mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile virus and dengue fever, but far fewer know how to correctly apply or choose insect repellent, according to a new nationally representative survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}