Aug. 11 – Thailand’s health authorities are urging its population to stop wearing black leggings, a recent trend among the country’s youth, due to the clothing’s tendency to attract mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus.

“I’m worried about how people dress, especially teenagers,” Deputy Public Health Minister Phansiri Kulanartsiri said in a statement released on Sunday. “The mosquitoes can bite through the leggings’ thin fabric, so those who wear them are at greater risk of being infected with dengue.”

Dengue fever, also known as breakbone fever due to its painful symptoms, occurs widely across the world’s tropical regions and is transmitted by a mosquito-borne flavivirus.

“It’s better to wear light colors and wear pants that can protect against mosquitoes, such as jeans,” she added. It is commonly believed that mosquitoes are attracted to darker colors, as they best absorb heat.

Over the first seven months of 2010, there have been 43 deaths and over 45,000 infections associated with dengue fever across Thailand – an increase of 40 percent from last year. The government has reported that many of the victims have been young people.