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EPA watchdog launches probe into incidents linked to popular Seresto pet collar
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The EPA's Office of Inspector General will examine whether the collars can be used without posing health risks to humans.
Investigate Midwest (https://investigatemidwest.org/tag/seresto/)
The EPA's Office of Inspector General will examine whether the collars can be used without posing health risks to humans.
According to internal communication, EPA staff were also told to not mention in emails the popular Seresto collar, the source of myriad complaints.
The company behind the popular Seresto flea-and-tick collar has filed a lengthy defense of the safety of its product amid calls for federal regulars to ban over concerns of harm and death to the pets who wear it.
Read the most important takeaways from our continuing investigation into the popular flea-and-tick collar for pets.
The maker of a popular flea and tick collar did not report thousands of adverse incidents to federal authorities as required until after an investigation by the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting (Investigate Midwest) and USA TODAY was published.
As early as 2015, the EPA identified that Seresto "ranked #1 by a wide margin" when it came to incident reports of pet death and harm.
The petition comes about four months after an Investigate Midwest and USA TODAY story found the popular flea and tick collar had been linked to about 1,700 pet deaths and more than 75,000 incidents of harm.
More than a decade ago, nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council petitioned the EPA to ban the use of a pesticide called tetrachlorvinphos in pet products like flea and tick collars. The organization cited studies showing that the chemical, a possible carcinogen, had been linked to brain and nerve damage in children.
The EPA said it is reviewing the findings as part of a larger investigation into PFAS contamination in pesticide products.
EPA data has linked Seresto flea and tick collars to about 1,700 pet deaths.