Overview
- Recent coverage on July 17 quoted emergency doctor Gabriele Groth saying mosquitoes inject proteins that trigger the immune system to release histamine, which irritates nerve endings and causes itching.
- For quick relief, doctors recommend cooling the spot, using antiallergic topical creams that block histamine receptors, or applying a wrapped cold pack when available.
- Brief local heat from so-called sting heaters is reported to help by breaking down salivary proteins, and Stiftung Warentest cited a study finding about 51 °C for five seconds as an effective parameter.
- Avoid scratching because bacteria on the hands can enter the wound and cause painful infections such as cellulitis with fever, and any large, hot, red or hand‑sized swelling should be seen by a doctor promptly.
- To prevent bites, wear long or light-colored clothing and tuck trouser legs into socks, use repellents with DEET or icaridin and reapply when sweating, and remember that while bites in Germany are usually a nuisance mosquitoes can transmit serious diseases in other regions.