Zika Prevention Kit

“The Best Possible Zika Prevention Kit Includes DEET,” By Angela Logomasini, Ph.D.
Last week, Broward Country Florida recorded the first two Zika cases transmitted by mosquitos in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging pregnant women to assemble and deploy a “Zika Prevention Kit,” which is a good idea. CDC’s suggested kit includes: bed nets; insect repellent; mosquito dunks, which are added to standing water to prevent development of mosquito larvae; permethrin spray for clothing; and condoms to prevent transmission of Zika through intercourse. The fact that four out of five of these items use pesticides is illustrative of the importance of these chemical technologies. Bed nets are usually treated with pesticides to keep insects away; the mosquito dunks are a registered pesticide as well, even though their key active ingredient is a bacteria rather than a synthetic chemical, and the repellents are also pesticides. Read more.