Aerial spraying campaigns involving the controversial pesticide Naled played an essential role in the elimination of local Zika transmission in the Miami neighborhood of Wynwood where mosquito-borne transmission of the virus was first detected in the state, according to a report on the Florida Department of Health's investigation published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
According to the report, Zika continued to spread in the Wynwood neighborhood after ground-based mosquito elimination efforts were implemented. After health officials conducted an aerial spraying campaign involving the pesticides Naled and bacillus Thuringensis, local transmission decreased rapidly.
"When faced with the potentially devastating outcomes of microcephaly or other serious brain defects that Zika can cause during pregnancy, we must use the best available tools to prevent infection," said Tom Frieden, MD, the director of the CDC. "According to Environmental Protection Agency assessments, when used properly, aerial spraying with Naled for mosquito control doesn't pose a risk to people or the environment."
Concerns over the toxicity of Naled inspired protests in Miami Beach. The use of the pesticide in aerial campaigns in South Carolina resulted in the death of millions of honey bees, according to The Washington Post. In Puerto Rico, the U.S. territory hardest hit by Zika, pushback from the island's governor and citizens caused the CDC to drop the pesticide from their aerial spraying campaigns.
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