Don't get scammed by bogus Ebola treatments

The first U.S. case of the deadly Ebola virus, diagnosed in Dallas, may send you searching for ways to protect yourself. But don't be fooled—according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, no drug or vaccine has yet been proven to be effective against Ebola.

But that hasn't stopped opportunistic online vendors from touting bogus products that they claim can prevent or cure it, and the Food and Drug Administration is already cracking down on several of these sellers.

Among them is a New Jersey company, Natural Solutions Foundation, which has been hawking a "Personal Protection Pack" consisting of "Silver Sol Nano Silver" and "CBD Organic Dark Chocolate Bars" (also referred to as "High Potency CBD Hemp Oil).

It's easy to see how consumers might be tempted to purchase these products. Natural Solutions Foundation markets its wares through a website and a slick YouTube video titled, "No One Need Die From Ebola," that has been widely shared on Facebook. Presented by Rima E. Laibow, M.D., the video claims that "Nanosilver, 10ppm, will inactivate the Ebola virus effectively." Listen to Laibow's spiel about the antibacterial and antiviral properties of silver and you just might believe she has found a cure.

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But buyers should beware. "Lots of chemicals interfere with colonization in a petri dish," said John Santa, M.D., medical director for Consumer Reports' Health Ratings Center. "That does not mean they affect the organism in a human being, or that humans can survive the toxic effects that may occur at doses that kill the organism."

When tested in animals, side effects of ingesting silver included hypoactivity, altered neuro-transmitter and liver enzyme level, enlarged hearts, immunological effects, and death, according to a review by Danish researchers in the journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. More common, ingesting silver is known to cause argyria in humans, a condition that makes your skin turn blue.

Oils are also being sold as Ebola cures or preventives. Young Living is a Utah-based company that sells its products through paid consultants, some of whom have reportedly claimed that essential oils such as cinnamon bark, oregano, and thieves (a combination of cinnamon, clove, lemon, eucalyptus, and rosemary) are effective in combatting Ebola.

Meanwhile, another Utah company, dōTERRA International LLC, has been selling oregano for the same purpose. But Santa says it's highly doubtful that anyone at these firms has tested the claims with sufficient rigor. "It is unlikely that researchers have had the time or access to Ebola to adequately study it. I am sure the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been very careful to not give the Ebola organism to anyone but very responsible researchers."

In response, the FDA has hit all three companies with letters warning them to remove their "unapproved and fraudulent products" or "face potential FDA action." And for the most part they have complied, removing the false or misleading statements (although Laibow's video is still widely available online.)

The regulatory agency is also warning consumers "to beware of unapproved products sold online and in retail stores claiming to prevent or treat the Ebola virus and other conditions, such as cancer, autism, Parkinson's and heart disease." 

Ebola is only contagious through direct contact with bodily fluids such as blood or vomit. "The CDC has an excellent record of responding to events like this and figuring them out," Santa says. "They have the resources needed to counter this. This is a deadly infection and we need to be prepared for a long and tricky battle."  

Amid this uncertainty, unscrupulous vendors are an inevitable hazard. "Unfortunately," Santa says, "what we're seeing advertised on the Internet is simply a terrible example of some people taking advantage of others."

—Lauren Cooper