Pest Management Professional, May 2016

Whits World a different point of view By Marty Whitford Publisher Editorial Director You can reach Whitford at mwhitford@ northcoastmedia net or 216 706 3766 Worlds deadliest animal back in limelight Photo istock com RawPixel diamondsky W hat animal kills the most humans Not sharks Not lions Not elephants Not crocodiles Not humans Its mosquitoes Diseases spread by mosquitoes trigger millions of deaths every year As many as 27 million people die annually from malaria alone according to the World Heath Organization WHO Of all disease transmitting insects the mosquito is the greatest menace spreading malaria dengue and yellow fever which together are responsible for several million deaths and hundreds of millions of cases each year according to the WHOs most recent World Health Report For years the American public brushed off mosquitoes as little more than biting annoyances Then West Nile virus WNV hit the United States in 1999 During the next 15 years more than 36000 cases of WNV were reported in the country Of those cases more than 15000 resulted in meningitis or encephalitis and 1538 were fatal according to the U S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention WNV thrust mosquitoes into the media spotlight Americans since have become increasingly aware of a host of mosquito borne diseases and viruses including WNV malaria dog heartworm dengue yellow fever Eastern equine encephalitis EEE St Louis encephalitis SLE La Crosse encephalitis LAC and Western equine encephalitis WEE But mosquitoes place in the limelight has faded some over time until recently when the mosquitoborne Zika virus began grabbing headlines around the globe The Zika virus causes mild flulike symptoms in approximately 20 percent of infected people The main concern among leading health organizations centers on a potential link between the virus and microcephaly a birth defect associated with underdevelopment of the head and brain While yellow fever mosquitoes Aedes aegypti are the primary carriers of the Zika virus Asian tiger mosquitoes A albopictus also can transmit the virus Turn to p MM11 of this issue for research that suspects Culex mosquitoes are capable of being carriers as well The best way to avoid contracting Zika virus and other mosquito borne diseases is to take preventive measures when spending time outdoors says Dr Jorge Parada an infectious disease specialist and medical advisor for the National Pest Management Association NPMA Pest management professionals PMPs can work closely with customers to identify and eliminate conducive conditions such as standing water in flower pots bird baths and grill covers as well as holes in window and door screens Thankfully PMPs have an arsenal of mosquito management weapons larvicides and adulticides biological biochemical and chemical solutions and spray fog and mist formulations to protect public health Opportunities abound for PMPs to add mosquito management services and sales According to our latest mosquito management survey 7 percent currently do not offer such services last years figure was more than twice as high though 13 percent report their annual mosquito management revenue is six figures and another 3 percent say theirs tops 1 million PMP 104 May 2016 Pest Management Professional mypmp net