Are the Chemicals Used Against Zika Dangerous to Us?
Some news reports raise concerns that the chemicals used to control Zika-carrying mosquitoes may be as harmful as the virus. Even Dr. Perlmutter, a neurologist and author of the book Grain Brain, notes studies that show exposure of pregnant women to some commercial pesticides may result in a risk of autism for their child. Unfortunately, aerial, truck-mounted and backpack spraying of mosquitoes and their larvae is a very effective way of rapidly killing the insects and reducing the spread of Zika. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), state and local officials decide which insecticides to use, based on the results of resistance testing . Per the CDC, aerial spraying for mosquitoes is not experimental and has been used effectively for many years. Throughout the CDC's aerial spraying site , one particular phrase is key. "When aerial spraying is done correctly . . ." aerial spraying of insecticides is not harmful to human health, as only a cou