While there is still much about the Zika virus that is being hidden from us, the media narrative remains the same: the virus is a serious and imminent threat, and executive action must be taken to combat it (to the tune of a $1.8 billion relief package President Obama has discussed that includes vaccine research).
Regardless, the Zika scare campaign rambles on, and now many people are concerned that the “cure” may be even more harmful than the disease.
Case in point: a recent announcement out of Miami, Florida that neighborhoods would be sprayed above with a chemical capable of causing widespread health problems in order to combat the Zika virus.
Miami Gets the Chemical Treatment
Aerial spraying for mosquitoes has continued in the Wynwood area of Miami, with reports that the neighborhood had become a “ghost town” over the weekend.
The area is being sprayed with naled, a “potent neurotoxin that kills mosquitoes on contact,” according to a recent report byTheFreeThoughtProject.com.
The report, a roundup of news surrounding the situation, noted that according to the Florida Department of Health, naled can cause numbness, headaches, dizziness, tremors, nausea, abdominal cramps, sweating, blurred vision, difficulty breathing and a slowed heartbeat among other side effects. This is what Cornell University had to say about the effects of the pesticide:
Naled is moderately to highly toxic by ingestion, inhalation and dermal adsorption. Vapors or fumes of naled are corrosive to the mucous membranes lining the mouth, throat and lungs, and inhalation may cause severe irritation (9). A sensation of tightness in the chest and coughing are commonly experienced after inhalation (14). As with all organophosphates, naled is readily absorbed through the skin. Skin which has come in contact with this material should be washed immediately with soap and water and all contaminated clothing should be removed. Persons with respiratory ailments, recent exposure to cholinesterase inhibitors, impaired cholinesterase production, or with liver malfunction may be at increased risk from exposure to naled. High environmental temperatures or exposure of naled to visible or UV light may enhance its toxicity (9).
The same chemical was rejected by Puerto Ricans due to safety concerns, but it’s now being dumped in what was once a popular area for tourists.
As reported by a local CBS station, the chemical is being sprayed in such a manner as to keep it as airborne as possible, in “very fine aerosol droplets” according to the Free Thought Project report. The sprayings have been controversial as people wonder whether this approach will really be effective without causing unintended harm to people and the environment.
According to Duane Gubler, former head of the CDC’s dengue branch, the spraying doesn’t kill larvae and isn’t a residual insecticide meaning that it will likely have to continue to be sprayed weekly in order put a dent in the local mosquito population.
The EPA has classified naled as a “possible carcinogen” based on lab experiments with mice, however, as the Free Thought report noted. And yet despite that, the spraying continues with no announced end in sight.
For more information on Zika virus spraying the media isn’t telling you, check out the full report from The Free Thought Project by clicking here.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment