Florida is battling the spread of the Zika virus partially with aerial spraying, but there is now concern that the pesticide itself may be harmful to unborn babies.
When pregnant women become infected with Zika, their babies can be born with extremely harmful birth defects. Because the virus is spreading locally through mosquitoes in South Florida, the state has responded by spraying pesticide from planes.
Dr. Barry Ryan with the Rollins School Of Public Health at Emory University says that pesticide may cause other problems for babies.
“It’s essentially a neurotoxin and can result in unborn children … having particular neurodevelopment problems,” Ryan said.
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