Article: Dig DEET to repel bugs, disease - Citronella, Skin-So-Soft come up short.

Are bugs taking a bite out of your spring? If so, take heart - certain insect repellents, used properly, can go a long way toward alleviating not only the nuisance of summer bugs, but also the risk of contracting a host of infectious diseases.

Though most New Englanders are familiar with Lyme disease, which is carried by deer ticks, other diseases transmitted through ticks and mosquitoes include tularemia, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis, said Dr. Ed Ryan, who specializes in infectious disease at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"These are, for the most part, viruses for which we have no vaccine or pills. It all boils down to ...

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