Mosquito-Borne Illnesses + a “30-Cent Solution” to the Global Water Crisis w/ Kurt Avery

👉 Pitch in on Patreon and fuel the future of free-thinking conversations. https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews Also visit our returning sponsor Mike Swanson's Wall Street Window for the best financial and trading newsletter around: https://wallstreetwindow.com/ On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael speaks with Kurt Avery, founder and president of Sawyer Products, about the growing threat of mosquito-borne illnesses, tick-borne disease, and the practical ways people can protect themselves and their families. With dengue appearing in Florida and West Nile virus being reported across the United States, why do mosquito-borne illnesses often seem to surge later in the year? Avery explains what he calls the “inverse pyramid,” in which mosquito-borne infections can build throughout the warmer months as more infected people provide opportunities for mosquitoes to spread disease. Avery breaks down the differences between dengue and West Nile, how mosquitoes transmit these illnesses, why standing water in something as small as a flower pot or birdbath can become a breeding ground, and why avoiding mosquito exposure at dawn and dusk can make a difference. We also get into one of the most interesting aspects of mosquito prevention: permethrin-treated clothing. Avery explains how permethrin works, why he considers it a first line of defense, how long treatment can remain effective, and why treated clothing can be especially useful for children, hikers, hunters, gardeners, and anyone spending time outdoors. He also discusses picaridin as an alternative to DEET and explains why Sawyer has increasingly focused on what he calls “the two Ps,” permethrin and picaridin. But mosquitoes aren't the only problem. Avery argues that ticks may pose an even greater threat, discusses the diseases they can transmit, and offers practical advice for reducing exposure, including treating shoes and socks with permethrin. J.G. Michael also asks Avery about an important ecological question: how should communities control disease-carrying insects without creating unintended environmental consequences? Avery discusses the problems he sees with indiscriminate mosquito spraying, including the possibility of selecting for more resistant mosquito populations, and explains why his approach emphasizes repelling insects rather than simply trying to kill them. The conversation then takes a much broader turn. Avery discusses Sawyer's work providing inexpensive water filtration systems in communities around the world, the relationship between clean water, nutrition, and malaria, and the company's efforts to use permethrin-treated baby wraps and other interventions to reduce malaria among children. Avery describes what he calls the “30-cent solution” to the global water crisis and argues that relatively small investments in water filtration and disease prevention could dramatically improve health and economic conditions in developing countries. It's a wide-ranging conversation about mosquitoes, dengue, West Nile virus, ticks, insect repellents, public health, environmental concerns, malaria, clean water, and the surprisingly simple technologies that Avery believes can save lives. If you're in Florida or another part of the country dealing with mosquitoes and ticks, there's plenty of practical information here. But the discussion ultimately raises a much bigger question: how much human suffering could be prevented if we focused more resources on inexpensive prevention rather than treating disease after the fact?