PUBLIC HEALTH SUPPLEMENT: The PCO's Role In Public Health

Consider the following diseases: malaria, dengue fever, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted
fever, plague, endemic typhus, tick-borne encephalitis and mosquito-borne encephalitis. What do they all have in common? They are all vector-borne illnesses, meaning PCOs are among the first line of defense when protecting the public from these serious health threats. And that doesn't even include the potential harm posed by pest-related non-infectious diseases including cockroach allergens, spider bites and fire ant stings. Fortunately, in the United States, we are largely insulated from many of these health problems, but that doesn’t mean we’re without risk. Consider the following:

• Centers for Disease Control scientists don’t know how West Nile virus made its way into the U.S.

• In 1999 there were 55 reported cases of dengue fever in Texas.

• There are annually 12,000 to 16,000 cases of Lyme disease reported in the United States.

• Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is more severe than Lyme disease, and in the United States there are about 600 cases of RMSF reported annually.

In addition, the public has been hearing about West Nile virus for more than 18 months and there seems to be no end in sight. What can PCOs do to allay public fears about vector-borne illnesses? One way is through education. That’s why Aventis Environmental Science and PCT magazine invited approximately 20 PCOs to their second Public Health Symposium in August in Snowbird, Utah. In addition to hearing from distinguished speakers, pest management professionals had an opportunity to interact with one another about the topic of pests and disease. This supplement includes stories based on the presentations made at the conference.

Refer to this supplement often and keep it handy to show customers when they have questions about ticks, mosquitoes and other public health pests. In addition, go to www.pctonline.com for additional coverage of these important stories.

Public health is a critical area for Aventis Environmental Science. It is an area we’ve been involved in the last 100 years. Aventis is dedicated to helping the pest control industry help its customers to combat pests and pest-related diseases. We are all truly "protectors of the environment."

Sincerely,

Michael McDermott
Vice President, Professional Products
Aventis Environmental Science