Answer by Rabbi Aryeh Citron, YeshivahCollege.org:
At this time the Zika virus has become widespread in several countries in the world and is also spreading in several US cities. The disease has a very mild effect on adults but can cause serious birth defects to a baby if a mother contracts the disease when she is pregnant.
Zika can be transmitted by intimate contact or by mosquito bites. (I.e., a mosquito can become a carrier of the disease by biting an infected person. That mosquito can then pass on the disease to another person by biting them as well.)
This disease brings up several Halachic questions: May one kill a mosquito on Shabbos if they live in a Zika zone? May one kill a mosquito on Shabbos if they live in a Zika zone and there is a pregnant (or potentially pregnant) woman in the immediate area? May one use spray to keep away mosquitoes?
While there are several other halachic issues raised by the spreading Zika virus, this article will only attempt to address the above set of questions.
The purpose of this article is not to render Halachic rulings. It is simply to educate the readers about the issues that relate to the above questions.
Killing Mosquitoes on Shabbos
One who kills an animal on Shabbos is transgressing the Torah violation against slaughtering on Shabbos (slaughtering includes any removal of life).
According to most opinions, if one kills an animal but has no use for the animal’s carcass (for example if he is killing it so that it not bite him), it is a Rabbinic violation. This is called a melacha sh’ein tzarich legufah (a labor where there is no need for the object on which the labor is being preformed).
Therefore, on Shabbos, one may not kill animals whose bite does not cause serious harm. This would include wasps, bees,[1] gnats, bedbugs, mosquitoes and similar insects.
If one of the above animals is actually biting a person, one may remove it (despite the fact that it is muktzah) without killing it. Some permit one to remove it even before it begins to bite if it is on his skin. In this case it is better to knock it off oneself without actually touching it directly.
If the animal has a poisonous bite that is dangerous (e.g. many poisonous snakes or scorpions), one may kill the animal even if it is not threatening to bite anyone.
If one is not sure if the bite of a particular animal is dangerous one should kill that animal in an unusual way if they are not chasing after anyone.
If the animal has a bite that causes great pain but is not dangerous, one may kill it if it is chasing someone and threatening to bite them. In addition, if it is not chasing anyone, one may kill it by stepping on it so that it does not appear that he is killing it purposefully. This is because, as explained above, killing animals when one does not need the carcass, is only a Rabbinic decree and the Rabbis relaxed their decrees in cases of great bodily harm.
The Rambam is of the opinion that killing animals is a Torah violation even if one does not need the carcass. As such he rules that one may not kill these animals at all. The main halacha does not follow the Rambam in this regard so one is allowed to kill such animals as explained above. Nevertheless, one who is strict should not kill these animals if they are not threatening anyone.[2]
Based on the above, one may certainly remove a mosquito that is biting them or is about to bite them. It would seem that, in the Zika zone, considering that a mosquito can cause significant bodily harm to a fetus, that it should be considered an animal whose bite causes great pain but not death. As such it would be permissible to kill a mosquito that is threatening to bite anyone. If it is not threatening to bite anyone it would only be permitted to kill it in a way that that does not seem to be purposeful.
Using Insect Repellent
One may use insect repellant on Shabbos by spraying it or rubbing it on the body as long as it is a liquid and not a cream.[3]
May we experience the time regarding which it says “And the glory of the L-rd shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see that the mouth of the L-rd spoke.”[4]
VIDEO:
REFERENCES:
[1] If there is someone who is allergic to bee stings in the area, it would seem that the bee would have the law of a dangerous animal. See below.
[2] Shulchan Aruch HaRav, 316:227
[3] Shmirat Shabbos Kehilchato, 14:30
[4] Isaiah 40:5
Read the full original article here
“about to bite them” ??
how does one know when a mosquito is “about to bite”?? this is really a bit pathetic.
Rabbi Eliezer Zirkind said concerning the west Nile – which is already present this year – that you can directly kill them.
The mosquito is merely a messenger from Hashem and clearly this is a plague. Ironically the word Zika in Hebrew means “acquitted.” No coincidence. Please keep and spread the Noahide Code as this is our OBLIGATION (Rambam). http://www.asknoah.info
Respectfully, that is completely incorrect. In fact, mosquitos kill more people annually than any other animal in the world. According to the World Health Organization, mosquitos are responsible for more than 1 million deaths per year. However, very few of those are in America, as most are because of malaria, which is not a big problem here.
Thank you
With respect Zika can do significantly more that just cause the fetus significant bodily harm !!!!
Bees can be very dangerous to someone who is allergic to their venom, even more so than a mosquito
Bees and wasps cause way more death than mosquitos
Can you use a trap in the zika zone that may cause the mosquito to die by dehydration? Is that tzar bale chaim? Is it permissible?