Pyrethroid pesticides were developed to combat threats to public health all over the world. Derived from chrysanthemums, this class of pesticides has a proven and established safety profile when used as directed. Pyrethroids are heavily regulated in the United States and pose no significant health risk to adults and children when used according to the label.
Throughout history, insects and other pests have spread diseases that have killed hundreds of millions of people across the globe. Despite advances in science, insects remain carriers of pathogens that have a major impact on global health.
Fighting Mosquitos: The Deadliest Creature Known to Man
Pyrethroids are some of the most effective tools available in controlling mosquitos, which are the deadliest creatures known to man, claiming over 700,000 lives annually. Because many of the diseases carried by mosquitos are viral illnesses with no cure, vector control becomes an essential cornerstone of public health.
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Vector control is critical for protecting children and adults from these diseases carried by the invasive Aedes – a species of mosquito that has rapidly migrated northward over the past two decades.
Mosquito-Born Diseases: Judicious use of pyrethroid insecticides as part of an integrated pest management program prevents the spread of a wide range of horrible diseases, including:
Zika Virus, which causes devastating neurologic damage to developing babies;
Dengue Fever, which can cause a hemorrhagic fever like Ebola
Malaria, which kills more than 400,000 people annually – mostly children under the age of five.
Patient with malaria
Fleas, Lice & Other Disease-Spreading Pests
In addition to mosquitos, pyrethroid pesticides help control other insects that spread infectious and sometimes fatal diseases. While some of these illnesses were common in the Middle Ages, they have recently resurged in the United States.
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Disturbing news reports from Los Angeles and Denver describe outbreaks of Typhus and Trench Fever, both diseases of which often require hospitalization and long courses of antibiotics.
Pests such as bed bugs, ticks, fleas and lice are not only nuisance creatures that cause itching, but they can also be poisonous or carry bacterial and other fatal diseases like:
The Plague, which killed 1/3 of the European population in the 1300s, is also carried by fleas and is endemic to the southwestern US.
Typhus can spread to humans from bacteria found in infected mites, fleas, lice or mice
Trench Fever is more commonly diagnosed in homeless populations, or in conditions where good hygiene is difficult
Lyme Disease A growing problem, nearly 35,000 cases of tick-borne Lyme disease are reported to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) every year.
Asthma: Allergens from cockroaches have been known to be a cause of asthma in children, especially for those living in inner cities
Fatal Bites and Stings: Pyrethroids protect against pests such as fire ants, wasps and bees, which can potentially cause fatal allergic reactions.
Pyrethroids reduce the risk of insect bites and control the insects that spread disease around the home and in places where people congregate, such as:
Schools Hotels Restaurants Hospitals Nursing Homes Libraries Parks Courthouses
Airplanes Trains Buses Taxis Movie theaters Government buildings Gyms Businesses
Patient with black plague. AP Photo/The Gaylord Family
When applying pyrethroids, always be sure to read and follow label instructions.
Heavily Regulated
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the body of scientific evidence have found there is no significant health risk to adults and children from the proper application of pyrethroid insecticides.
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined that pyrethroids do not pose unreasonable adverse effects to human health and the environment when used as directed.
Pyrethroid pesticides are strictly regulated by federal and state bodies. Federally mandated label instructions are designed to protect against unreasonable adverse effects, including to users who apply pyrethroids responsibly in accordance with product use directions.
Decades of Research – Approved for Responsible Use
Pyrethroids have been intensely studied for years and have been found to have little to no impact on the health of children or adults when used as directed. Manufacturers of pyrethroid products work closely with federal, state and local regulators to ensure these products are used properly and according to label requirements.
