Schneiderman said his office will pursue further legal action if the companies do not respond to the cease-and-desist letters, which warn businesses to halt unlawful activity.
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The office has ordered seven marketers to stop deceptively advertising their insect repellent products, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced Wednesday morning.
“They’re lying to consumers, exploiting fears about a real public health crisis, just to make a buck, and we’re not going to put up with it”, Schneiderman told reporters from a podium adorned with a placard reading “STOPPING ZIKA SCAMS”.
With 90 confirmed cases of travel-related Zika virus in Texas, the state is working closely with federal and local partners to minimize the impact of Zika on the state. Numerous scientific studies have found that ultrasonic devices do not repel mosquitoes, and may even attract mosquitoes.
Zika is primarily transmitted by mosquitoes but can also be transmitted through sexual contact.
According to officials, symptoms of the virus include mild fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The Attorney General’s Office says only products containing at least one of these ingredients have been recommended by the CDC as a safe and effective way of protecting against the Zika Virus. The virus can affect pregnant women, causing birth defects.
Instead, the Attorney General advised consumers to look for EPA-registered insect repellents containing at least one of the following active ingredients: DEET, Picaridin (also known as KBR 3023, Bayrepel and icaridin), IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, and Para-Menthane-Diol.
Concern over Zika, which is spreading rapidly in the Americas, has increased in the United States since Florida authorities last week reported the first signs of local transmission of the virus in the continental United States.
The products targeted by Schneiderman that claimed to protect against the Zika virus included the Wildheart Outdoors Natural Mosquito Repellent Bracelet, MosQUITo Repellent Bracelet Wristband, Neor Mosquito Repellent Bracelet, Kenza High Quality Zika Mosquito Repellent Smiley Patch, Mobile Pro Gear ZIKA Shield Mosquito Repellent Bands, STAR Ultrasonic Pest Repeller and iGear iGuard 2.0 Ultrasonic Insect Pest Repellent.
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Treat clothing with permethrin or purchase pre-treated clothing.
