What to Know
- Eric Schneiderman says his office sent letters to several companies marketing products as "Zika-preventative" or "Zika-protective"
- The tropical mosquito that carries Zika is not common in New York. The virus can affect pregnant women, causing birth defects.
- People in Zika-affected areas are advised to wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts and use insect repellent.
New York's attorney general is targeting companies advertising ineffective insect repellents to cash in on concerns over the Zika virus.
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said his office has sent letters to seven companies, telling them to stop marketing products as "Zika-preventive" or "Zika-protective."
NBC 4 New York has reached out to the companies accused of selling the products. Their main point of sale appears to be Amazon, which did not immediately respond to a question about whether it would continue selling the products.
The tropical mosquito that carries Zika is not common in New York. The virus can affect pregnant women, causing birth defects.
People in Zika-affected areas are advised to wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts and use insect repellent.
The state has confirmed 537 cases, all apparently connected to travel to affected areas. Five cases were sexually transmitted.
Local
Schneiderman's actions come as health officials in Miami grapple with the likelihood that mosquitoes there are spreading the disease.
At least 15 people are thought to have contracted the virus without traveling, and the Centers for Disease Control and prevention had issued a warning to people traveling to the South Florida City.
The CDC says repellents typically providing long-lasting protection contain DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535. It lists brand names on its website .
