{"id":28814,"date":"2021-03-05T00:10:47","date_gmt":"2021-03-05T04:10:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=28814"},"modified":"2021-03-05T09:01:09","modified_gmt":"2021-03-05T13:01:09","slug":"despite-1700-dog-deaths-from-flea-collars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/despite-1700-dog-deaths-from-flea-collars\/","title":{"rendered":"Despite 1,700 Dog and Cat Deaths from Flea Collars, EPA Silent; Children at Risk"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

(Beyond Pesticides<\/em>, March 5, 2021) Pet owners will be alarmed to read the report, by USA Today<\/em>,<\/a> that a popular flea and tick collar \u2014 Seresto, developed by Bayer and sold by Elanco<\/a> \u2014 has been linked to nearly 1,700 pet deaths, injuries to tens of thousands of animals, and harm to hundreds of people. At the time of publication, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which regulates pesticides, had issued no informational alert to let the public know about these risks to pets \u2014 despite many hundreds of incident reports<\/a> in its Office of Pesticide Programs Incident Report database. Beyond Pesticides and other advocates have warned of the toxicity of pet pesticide treatments<\/a>, not only to the animals themselves, but also, to children and other household members. There are nontoxic ways to protect pets<\/a> from fleas and other pests, and to protect human family members at the same time.<\/p>\r\n

Beyond Pesticides is calling on EPA to recognize, finally, that the label on flea collars is not adequately protective, as evidenced by the number of deaths and 75,000 incidents. \u201cEPA has the authority to act now, and it should use its powers to protect the health and lives of pets,\u201d said Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides. \u201cThe deaths should trigger immediate action as EPA studies the situation\u2014not the reverse\u2014as it did with the herbicide Imprelis when trees where killed after the product\u2019s use,\u201d said Mr. Feldman. In 2011, EPA issued an order to E.I. DuPont de Nemours (DuPont) directing the company to immediately cease the distribution, sale, use or removal of Imprelis herbicide products under its ownership, control, or custody. The agency found that, \u201cThe directions for use and\/or warning or caution statements on DuPont’s Imprelis labeling are inadequate.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Last year, in covering a different pet-related issue, Beyond Pesticides wrote this<\/a>: \u201cHumans and dogs often occupy similar spaces, exposing both species to the same chemical contaminants, like pesticides. . . . Pet products containing pesticides are of concern as people encounter their pets daily. With the high degree of human contact with pets, through cuddling and hugs and kisses, those using pet products containing pesticides are at greater risk of high contaminant exposure. Numerous flea and tick prevention products (e.g., collars, topical treatments, sprays, dusts) include pesticides like\u00a0tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP)<\/a>,\u00a0propoxur<\/a>, synthetic\u00a0pyrethroids<\/a>, and\u00a0fipronil<\/a>. A common trait among these pesticides is their toxicity, not just to dogs and nontarget organisms, but to humans, as well.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

The active pesticide ingredients in the Seresto pet collars are\u00a0imidacloprid<\/a> and\u00a0flumethrin<\/a>. The neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid<\/a> is a commonly used pesticide associated with serious health and environmental decline. It is a neurotoxicant, an endocrine disruptor, an immunosuppressant, linked to cancer<\/a>, and also has negative reproductive impacts. It is toxic to birds, bees, and aquatic organisms, and persists in aquatic environments. In 2016, EPA released an assessment of risks<\/a> of its use to honey bees\u00a0that showed a strong link between use of imidacloprid and severely declining bee populations. The compound is banned for outdoor use across the European Union, but allowed in pet collars. In late 2020, Beyond Pesticides wrote about another harm of pet flea treatments: contamination of waterways with imidacloprid (and other pesticide compounds), in both England<\/a> and the U.S<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

Flumethrin is a chemical in the pyrethroid class of synthetic neurotoxic insecticides<\/a>, which have been repeatedly linked to neurological issues, such as\u00a0seizures and learning disabilities in children, and to gastrointestinal distress, as well as to damage to non-target invertebrates, according to EPA\u2019s\u00a0own analysis<\/a>. It is deployed on domestic pets (via collars) and on livestock for control of fleas and ticks, and is even marketed for control of varroa mites in beehives.<\/p>\r\n

The Seresto collars contain both these compounds, although \u2014 according to the Rachel Carson Council<\/a> \u2014 imidacloprid likely has a minor, if any, role in the dog mortality on which USA Today<\/em> reports. Flumethrin and \u201cinert\u201d compounds, or synergies among those and the active ingredients, may be the culprits.<\/p>\r\n

EPA nevertheless continues to permit use of the Seresto collars despite the demonstrated risks to children of flumethrin, in particular. In 2016, the agency issued a bulletin that asserted<\/a> that the collar label includes the following language: \u201cDO NOT LET CHILDREN PLAY WITH THIS COLLAR OR REFLECTORS; KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.\u201d The bulletin further states, \u201cFlumethrin exposures to people placing collars on pets, and to adults and children interacting with pets (including incidental ingestion because of children\u2019s hand-to-mouth activities), are below levels of concern. The assessment of imidacloprid identified no risks to humans placing the collars on pets or interacting with pets wearing the collars.\u201d And it reiterates, \u201cAs stated in the precautions on the label, do not allow children to play with the collars. In addition, try to keep the pet away from young children for a day after putting on the collar to minimize exposure.\u201d EPA\u2019s use of ALL CAPS and repeated warnings about children suggests a high level of agency concern.<\/p>\r\n

That same EPA bulletin says<\/a>, \u201cThe risk of the combination of the two active ingredients, flumethrin and imidacloprid, was not assessed because the two chemicals act in completely different ways.\u201d This failure to evaluate synergistic effects of pesticides is typical of EPA. As Beyond Pesticides has pointed out repeatedly, EPA does not do an adequate job of evaluating the risks and harms of exposures to multiple pesticide compounds<\/a>, as well as those of so-called \u201cinert\u201d or “other” pesticide ingredients<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

USA Today<\/em> writes<\/a>, relatedly, \u201cA 2012 Bayer study found [these two compounds] have a \u2018synergistic effect,\u2019 meaning they are more toxic together on fleas. . . . Additionally, eight companion animal safety studies were conducted by Bayer looking at the effect of Seresto collars on domestic cats and dogs.\u00a0The EPA used these studies to approve Seresto. . . . Another issue could be a reaction of inactive ingredients, which are unknown and have caused problems in spot-on treatments [according to Nathan Donley, PhD, a senior CBD scientist and an expert on U.S. pesticide regulation]. . . . [Dr. Donley] said this \u2018synergistic effect\u2019 likely extends to pets. He said he wasn\u2019t sure what makes the two pesticides so likely to cause harm, but it is clear something is wrong with the product. . . . \u2018You don\u2019t even see these kinds of numbers with many agricultural chemicals. For whatever reason, this combination is just really nasty.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\r\n

These products, such as the Seresto collar, are meant to stay on dogs or cats for months at a time, and kill fleas, ticks, and other pests. The Seresto collar has caused, apart from pet deaths, rashes, seizures, motor dysfunction, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, and excessive drooling. The product label indicates the collar is for external use only; but that direction does not account for the fact that dogs and cats clean themselves (by licking their fur) frequently, and can ingest the collar\u2019s pesticides because it is designed to release and disperse them onto fur and skin steadily over the course of months. Mammals generally tolerate pyrethroid insecticides such as flumethrin relatively well \u2014 unlike insects, for whom the toxicity is 1,000 times higher. But with chronic exposure, such as sustained skin or inhalation exposure, as the collars allow, or after direct contact with open wounds, the toxicity can be much higher, and pets can experience more-severe impacts.<\/p>\r\n

Pet owners likely do not think about the flea and tick collars they use on pets as toxic. Manufacturers and EPA represent that they are safe for the pets themselves, yet federal documents secured through the Center for Biological Diversity<\/a>\u2019s (CBD\u2019s) FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request, and shared with the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting<\/em><\/a>, chronicle the incidents of harm: at least 1,698 related deaths of pets (dogs and cats), nearly 1,000 cases of negative impacts<\/a> on humans, and more than 75,000 incidents overall.<\/p>\r\n

EPA has logged these \u201cSeresto\u201d incidents in its database for years, but has not seen fit to warn the public. Karen McCormack, a retired EPA scientist and communications officer, notes that these collars have garnered the greatest number of incident reports of any pesticide product in her long experience. She says,<\/a> \u201cEPA appears to be turning a blind eye to this problem, and after\u00a0seven years of an increasing number of incidents, they are telling the public that they are continuing to monitor the situation. But I think this is a significant problem that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

An EPA spokesperson recently said<\/a> that, despite these incidents, the agency has deemed Seresto collars \u201c\u2018eligible for continued registration\u2019 based on best available science, including incident data. . . . No pesticide is completely without harm, but EPA ensures that there are measures on the product label that reduce risk. The product label is the law, and applicators must follow label directions. Some pets, however, like some humans, are more sensitive than others and may experience adverse symptoms after treatment.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

The Seresto collars are sold by retailers such as Amazon, Petco, Chewy, and PetSmart. Amazon has received dozens of complaints over time about pets developing rashes and neurological issues with use of the collars. All of these retailers continue to sell these products.<\/p>\r\n

The Seresto issue represents the latest of EPA\u2019s failures to regulate pet pesticide products so as to protect animals and the humans in their households. In 2009, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) sued<\/a> the agency over its approval of tetraclorvinphos, or TCVP, an organophosphate insecticide used in pet collars as well as on livestock. In addition to typical neurotoxic organophosphate impacts (numbness, tremors, incoordination, blurred vision, respiratory depression, and brachycardia) on the animals, TCVP represented human exposures through pets, livestock, and dietary and water exposure (because of the livestock use). The NRDC case called for cancellation of TCVP\u2019s registration by EPA.<\/p>\r\n

In 2016, EPA announced its allowance<\/a> of continued use of TCVP, despite the inadequacy of the labeling on TCVP products to protect children, who are uniquely vulnerable to the compound\u2019s neurological effects. As Beyond Pesticides wrote<\/a>, \u201cChildren face unique hazards from pesticide exposure. They take in more pesticides relative to their body weight than adults in the food they eat and air they breathe. Their developing organ systems often make them more sensitive to toxic exposure.\u00a0The probability of an effect such as cancer, which requires a period of time to develop after exposure, is enhanced if exposure occurs early in life.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

In April 2020, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals gave EPA a deadline for responding to<\/a> the court\u2019s previous writ of mandamus<\/a> to respond to NRDC\u2019s petition for cancellation of the registration of TCVP. EPA had already delayed response by more than a decade, about which the court wrote, \u201cRepeatedly, the EPA has kicked the can down the road and betrayed its prior assurances of timely action, even as it has acknowledged that the pesticide poses widespread, serious risks to the neurodevelopmental health of children.\u201d NRDC\u2019s lawsuit is ongoing.<\/p>\r\n

Pet collars containing TCVP continue to be sold under the brand name Hartz Ultraguard, Hartz InControl, and Longlife. The number of incidents related to the use of the Seresto collar, however, dwarf the number related to TCVP. (From 1992 to 2008, the EPA received roughly 4,600 incident reports related to collars containing TCVP, including 363 deaths,\u00a0according to agency documents<\/a>.) Reported Serestro incidents, which CBD asserts are likely undercounts, on the other hand, include:<\/p>\r\n