New Asthma Guidelines Greatly Concerned with Pest and Pesticides

In a September 27th press release, Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management (PA IPM) announced the publication of the new National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) guidelines for the control of asthma. The PA IPM specified in their press release that pests and pesticides were reviewed more closely in the new guidelines as possible triggers for asthma.

The PA IPM press release referenced the Center of Disease Control (CDC) statistics that 6.6 million children and in all (including the children under the age of eighteen) twenty two million people in the United States have asthma, which is a chronic disease that causes constriction of the air passages. The press release further stated that if not treated, asthma can result in the exacerbation of the disease, and the individual with the exacerbated form of the illness may have to be hospitalized or perhaps may even die.

Statistics have shown a correlation between pest levels in inner city environments and the number of people particularly children with asthma, according to the PA IPM press release.

The PA IPM press release indicated that the new guidelines speak of problems with pests and pesticides. Pests thought to be asthma triggers include mice and roaches. Not only are the animals themselves a problem but their feces, cast off skin, and urine can contribute to asthma, stated the PA IPM in the press release, which then went on to name pesticides as also possibly triggering asthma. Because some chemicals such as bug sprays can trigger an asthma attack, the NAEPP guidelines recommend gel forms of pest control, baited traps, and boric acid over sprays in dealing with problems with cockroaches.