FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 5, 2004
CONTACT: Jim Tobin
919-653-2582
New York City’s 2000 Mosquito Pesticide Spraying
Did Not Lead to Increase in Asthma Treatments
Study in Environmental Health Perspectives
Finds No Increase in Emergency Room Visits
[RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC] New York City’s late summer/early
fall 2000 mosquito spraying session, designed as an effort to minimize
the spread of West Nile virus, did not increase the number of people
seeking emergency care for asthma-related problems, according to a study
published today in the August issue of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental
Health Perspectives (EHP). The study found no correlation between the
application of sumithrin—a pyrethroid pesticide—in the 162
residential zip codes sprayed between July and September 2000 and asthma-related
symptom cases presenting at the city’s 11 public hospital emergency
departments.
Researchers evaluated rates of emergency department visits over a 14-month
period. The study also incorporated air quality data, including daily
measures of ozone, air particulates, and temperature, which can cause
fluctuations in the number of people seeking treatment for asthma.All
zip codes in New York City were included in the study, except those
in Staten Island, which lacks a public hospital.
The number of visits was similar in the 3-day periods before and after
spraying. The researchers also looked specifically at incidents in children
under 15 years and for aggravation of chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease. No correlation to spraying was found in either group.
Earlier studies have found that short-term exposure to pyrethroid insecticides
can cause symptoms including wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest
tightness. Evidence also suggests that pyrethroid pesticides may aggravate
preexisting respiratory conditions in some people. This study is the
first population study to look at the impact of a spraying program in
residential areas.
The study did not seek to address the relationship between pyrethroid
pesticides and asthma symptoms. The absence of an increase in asthma
treatments was attributed to the pesticide application program as a
whole. The program included public announcements on radio, television,
and print media 48 hours before spraying was conducted, which may have
resulted in people with sensitivities closing their windows or taking
medication as a precaution. In another measure to minimize public exposure
to the pesticide used, spraying began at 10 p.m. and ended by 5 a.m.
“
As the circulation of West Nile virus and the emergence of associated
illness increases in the United States, public health agencies are increasingly
called on to make risk-benefit calculations regarding vector control
programs,” the study authors write. “Our results suggest
that modest to large increases in emergency department visits for asthma
did not occur in New York City during and after pyrethroid spraying
for West Nile virus control in 2000.”
“
Working to stop the spread of encephalitis caused by West Nile virus
is increasingly important to communities across the United States,” said
Dr. Jim Burkhart, science editor for EHP. “It seems that the New
York City program was well constructed to minimize the impact on those
with asthma and related respiratory conditions.”
The lead author of the study was Adam M. Karpati of the New York City
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. Other authors were Mary C. Perrin, Tom Matte,
Jessica Leighton, Joel Schwartz, and R. Graham Barr. The article is
available free of charge at http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2004/6946/abstract.html.
EHP is published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,
part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. EHP became
an Open Access journal in January 2004. More information is available
online at http://www.ehponline.org/.
Editor’s note: Working media can register to receive press releases
via e-mail by visiting http://www.ehponline.org/press/, calling 919-653-2582,
or e-mailing ehpmedia@brogan.com.
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