“New Yorkers are understandably concerned about Zika virus and looking for ways to protect themselves and their families”, Attorney General Schneiderman said.
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“Our goal is to get this stuff off the market”, Schneiderman said, adding that if the companies persist his office will seek damages.
Cease and desist letters were issued to 7 companies marketing products claiming they prevent or protect against Zika virus when they are ineffective for that objective.
Breitbart News reported the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned Americans this week not to travel to a Miami neighborhood for fear of catching the locally transmitted mosquito-borne Zika. Officials have launched a public education campaign, encouraging Texans to lower the risk of infection by staying indoors, wearing insect repellent and eliminating standing water.
But Michael Landau-Spiers with Wildheart Outdoors insists to BuzzFeed News that the company’s cirtronella oil-based wristband is effective in warding off mosquitoes.
All service members have been told to wear insect repellent, of course, and to avoid any areas that are known to be mosquito-infested.
Repellents should contain WHO-approved ingredients such as DEET (diethyltoluamide) or IR 3535 or Icaridin.
The city’s efforts to prevent and respond to the potential for cases in New Orleans include trapping and monitoring mosquitoes and efforts to educate the public about the disease. “Wrist bands, patches, and ultrasound devices will not protect you from a mosquito bite”. Don’t waste your money on these products. “Don’t take these unnecessary risks”.
“But we can not be complacent, because we do expect to see more Zika cases”, he added. In a first for a bugspray, Off! became the official insect repellent supplier for an Olympic Games when it signed on to send 115,000 of its products to the 2016 Rio Olympics.
So, what are the products that these companies have been marketing to troubled locals?
“It is our utmost importance to keep our customers safe and happy”, said the company. He said his office’s investigation into deceptive advertising practices related to Zika remain ongoing. Many doctors have stated that even if a person does contract the virus, their immune system can become immune to the disease in as short as a couple of months.
As of July 15, some 346 Zika infections have been reported in New York City. So far, the Department of Defense has not released any information on the medical status of the pregnant woman or her unborn child. It needs permission to trap and treat mosquitoes on private property. This is particularly important as the Aedes aegypti mosquito tends to approach from behind and bite the ankles, meaning many will not even be aware they’ve been bitten.
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The CDC says repellents typically providing long-lasting protection contain DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535.
