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Florida Residents Outside Zika Zones Express Pesticide Fears

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
WLRN
/
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

Backlash over aerial spraying of the insecticide in South Beach is prompting other Florida residents to question how it's used.

Miami-Dade County plans another spraying of naled early Sunday over South Beach, the first place on the U.S. mainland where the Zika virus was isolated in mosquito samples. The first round of aerial spraying in Miami Beach was completed early Friday.

The Naples Daily News reports that the Collier Mosquito Control District is receiving an increasing number of calls from residents who want the county to stop using naled.

Palm Beach County residents also have been questioning the pesticide's use. One Palm Beach County mosquito control official told The Palm Beach Post that his department relies on U.S. regulatory agencies for assurance that the pesticide is safe.