TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: Don’t Forget You Are Protectors of Health!

The headline above is a statement worth repeating. Our industry frequently loses sight of one of the most important reasons we exist — to protect human health. There is no other service industry that can make such a claim and the government agencies that can are becoming fewer and farther between.

We tend to downplay our importance to society by describing ourselves as exterminators, bug-killers, rat catchers, etc. This is one leg of the pedestal the Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA) is using to promote the image of our industry, but individual pest management professionals need to play their part.

A small amount of research and the past few year’s media blitzes on various pest-borne diseases should be enough to convince anyone the role we can and do play in keeping these diseases in check. The next time you make a presentation, talk with friends and neighbors or interview with the media, consider these facts about some of the most important diseases in our country.

MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES. The problem with these diseases is that they can originate in your backyard or as far away as 20 miles, depending on the mosquito involved in disease transmission. Mosquitoes are capable of breeding in any still body of water that remains for seven to 10 days, such as a backyard birdbath, gutters, empty cans, tires, trash cans, etc. If you live near the coast they can fly or be blown in from coastal marsh areas.

Worldwide, mosquitoes transmit yellow fever, malaria, dengue and encephalitis and they are responsible for millions of deaths per year. In the U.S., the most fatal mosquito-borne diseases were eradicated years ago; the bad news is that it appears some of these diseases may be on their way back.

WEST NILE VIRUS (WNV). This is a mosquito-borne viral disease that was first identified in Africa in 1937 and appeared in the U.S. in 1999. The virus commonly infects people, horses, birds and other animals. Most people who are infected with the disease exhibit no symptoms or only mild ones; however, in some cases symptoms are severe and occasionally fatal.

As of Nov. 6, 2002, the Communicable Disease Center (CDC) reported 3,507 human cases, of which 187 resulted in death. The median age of death was 78 years and the range was 24 to 99 years. Infected birds were reported from 42 states and the District of Columbia and positive mosquito pools were reported from 27 states and Washington, D.C.

MALARIA. This disease is caused by a plasmodium, an organism that undergoes development in the vector (mosquito) and its ultimate host (human). The disease is transmitted from person to person and no other mammals are involved in the disease cycle.

This disease is worth mentioning because of the two locally transmitted cases recently reported in Virginia. This occurrence was attributed to the dense population in this area, the proportionately larger number of immigrants from countries where malaria is endemic, and the predominant mosquito species collected in the area that was Anopheles quadramaculatus, a vector of malaria.

TICK-BORNE DISEASES. Worldwide, ticks are one of the most important vectors of human diseases, e.g., viruses, spirochetes, bacteria and rickettsia, exceeding mosquitoes in the number of diseases transmitted. Several aspects of the tick’s biology make them effective transmitters of disease: close association with humans, domestic and peridomestic animals; thousands of eggs produced at one time; transtadial and transovarial transmission of disease organisms; and the ability to survive long periods of time (one or more years) between blood meals.

In the U.S., most of the tick-transmitted diseases are not life-threatening; however, their effects are long-lasting and can significantly impact quality of life. The two most important tick-borne diseases in this country are Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Ehrlichiosis, tick paralysis and others that are beginning to appear.

LYME DISEASE. This disease is caused by a spirochete, a bacterial-like organism and is the most significant tick-borne disease in this country. Since 1982, more than 145,000 cases were reported to the CDC, accounting for more than 95 percent of all vector-borne diseases in the U.S. In 1999, 16,273 cases were reported to the CDC. The disease is concentrated in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic states and most frequently affects children aged 5 to 9 years and adults aged 45 to 54.

The symptoms of the disease include a bulls-eye rash, flu-like symptoms, lethargy, joint pain, degenerative arthritis, neurological and cardio degeneration. The disease is treatable around the time of on-set, but as it progresses it becomes more difficult to treat and total remission is unlikely.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED-FEVER. Until the discovery of Lyme disease and the recent introduction of West Nile virus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever was the most significant zoonotic disease within the U.S. It is the most severe and frequently reported rickettsial disease in the U.S. During the past 50 years, 250 to 1,200 cases have been reported to CDC each year.

The disease manifests itself with flu-like symptoms, e.g., headache, fever and muscle pain followed by a rash. If misdiagnosed and/or untreated, the disease can be fatal; even when treated 3 to 5 percent of affected individuals die. Despite its name, the disease is widespread across the U.S. and is more prevalent in the Appalachian Mountain area.

CONCLUSION. This article only scratches the surface of the diseases transmitted by arthropods and other animal vectors. Other serious diseases where our industry plays a role include hantavirus and cockroach allergies. To learn more about being a protector of health, the diseases, the vectors and the role of pest management professionals, attend the NPMA Emerging Business Opportunities in Public Health to be held at the Wyndham New Orleans at Canal Place, New Orleans, La. (Jan. 16-18).

So, the next time you are asked what you do for a living, use some of these facts and explain how our industry protects human health. Our industry should always be proud to proclaim — WE ARE PROTECTORS OF HEALTH!

The author is technical director of American Pest Management, Takoma Park, Md. He can be reached at 301/891-2600 or rkramer@pctonline.com.