The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it had warned nine companies to stop marketing "bogus" flu products.
The products, including capsules that allegedly contain bacteria from dirt and other assorted immune system "boosters," all claim or claimed to help prevent or treat avian flu.
"FDA is not aware of any scientific evidence that demonstrates the safety or effectiveness of these products for treating or preventing avian flu and the agency is concerned that the use of these products could harm consumers or interfere with conventional treatments," the agency said in a statement.
"The use of unproven flu cures and treatments increases the risk of catching and spreading the flu rather than lessening it because people assume they are protected and safe and they aren't," said Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, acting FDA commissioner.
"I consider it a public health hazard when people are lured into using bogus treatments based on deceptive or fraudulent medical claims."
All of the companies sell via Internet Web sites and the FDA complained about several claims, including "prevents avian flu," "a natural virus shield," "kills the virus," and "treats the avian flu."
Most are promoted as being "natural" or "safer" treatments that can be used in place of approved drugs.
"In the Warning Letters, FDA advises the firms that it considers their products to be drugs because they claim to treat or prevent disease," the FDA said.
This type of thing makes you wonder how far we've come from the snake oil salesman of the Wild West in the late 1800's. Perhaps not as far as we think we have. What was their phrase? "Good for whatever ails ya!" This resonates today as well.
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