The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is intensifying its evaluation of spot-on pesticide products for flea and tick control due to recent increases in the number of reported adverse reactions in pets treated with these products. Adverse reactions reported range from mild effects such as skin irritation to more serious effects such as seizures and, in some cases, death of the pet.
Because a listing of EPA-registered spot-on flea and tick products previously reflected only a portion of the numerous pet spot-on products available, EPA felt that pet owners and consumers might be led to believe that only those products listed were the focus of concern. In fact, EPA is intensifying its evaluation of all spot-on products and is providing a more comprehensive list of these products.
EPA is evaluating all available data and information, including:
- reports of adverse reactions,
- product market share,
- clarity of product use directions and label warnings,
- product ingredients, and
- pre-market safety data submitted to the Agency in support of registration of these products
This assessment may result in EPA action to require changes in the registration status of certain spot-on products. EPA will be working collaboratively with Health Canada to address this issue, as Canadian regulatory officials have identified similar concerns about the use of spot-on flea and tick products. EPA will be updating its page at www.epa.gov/pesticides periodically to provide the public with the most current information on this issue.
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