Bug spray companies, entrepreneurs and scammers are capitalizing on Americans’ fears of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in hopes of bringing in profits.
Among them is a Louisiana exterminator who is hawking a $1,678 outdoor mosquito misting system as the “Zika Cube,” The Associated Press reports.
Its maker, Katy, Texas-based Pynamite Mosquito Misting Systems, says it didn’t authorize sales of its product under that name and will order the man to stop, though Pynamite’s website does say “effective mosquito control in your yard is the best way to prevent Zika and other mosquito-related diseases.”
Marketers know this is the time to pounce: The summer Olympics are about to start in Brazil, where the recent Zika epidemic started, and 14 mosquito-borne cases of Zika were identified recently in the Miami area, the first in the U.S. And as of Tuesday, there were 15 confirmed Zika cases in Louisiana, according to published reports.
“From a marketing point of view, it’s a golden opportunity,” says Jonathan Day, a University of Florida mosquito expert and researcher.
In a first for a bug spray, Off! became the official insect repellent supplier for an Olympic Games, and agreed to send 115,000 sprays, spritzers and towelettes to the Rio Olympics. Rival Cutter in June signed on to sponsor the U.S. men’s and women’s national soccer teams.
Both companies are likely to benefit from Zika fears far beyond supplying athletes and fans in Brazil.
Zika is usually spread when the mosquito picks it up by biting an infected person and bites someone else. It is a worrying disease especially for pregnant women and can cause severe birth defects even though its symptoms are often so mild most people don’t know they have it.
Health officials say people in Zika-affected areas should take steps to avoid getting or spreading the disease by wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts and using insect repellent. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention specifically mentions brands like Off! and Cutter in its recommendations.
