French Polynesia clarifies insecticide use over zika

Health authorities in French Polynesia say they never used the insecticide which Argentinian experts link to the large number of microcephaly cases in Brazil's Zika outbreak.

Thousands of malformed babies have been born in Brazil in areas hit by the Zika virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes.

In Tahiti, the authorities say that - like in other French overseas territories - they have for decades used deltamethrin to fight mosquitoes and not pyriproxyfen as in South America.

They say deltamethrin, which has also been used to fight chikungunya and dengue, has not had negative effects.

In the Zika outbreak in Tahiti two years ago, about 60 percent of the population contracted Zika and 42 people now suffer from Guillain-Barre.

About 10 cases of microcephaly have been registered during that period when the usual incidence of such malformations is about two.

     

Author: 
Radio New Zealand International