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Public Health Officials down play danger of Btk spraying - 

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Letter/Article from 4/12/2000  Queen Anne / Magnolia News (Washington State)

Two studies did not find a link between Btk and human illness

Washington State Department of Agriculture is planning to undertake aerial pesticide spraying in portions of Ballard and Magnolia later this spring to combat a potential gypsy moth infestation.  In response to this plan, members of our community have raised legitimate concerns regarding potential health effects related to the pesticide Foray 48B, which contains the bacterial Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki, or Btk.  Unfortunately, some of the information regarding the safety of Btk has been inaccurate.

Public health … Seattle & King County is committed to providing our community with accurate and objective information regarding public health issues.  Toward that end, Public Health staff researched the safety of Btk and consulted with national public health and toxicology experts regarding health effects of this pesticide.  In summary, this product has not been linked to serious human health effects and has an excellent safety record.

More than 100 million pounds of Btk are used each year to control agricultural pests in the United States, including use by commercial landscapers, organic farmers and gardeners.  Btk can be purchased at neighborhood garden centers.

There have been two studies that have looked for health problems in persons living in areas where aerial spraying of Btk occurred; neither study was able to link Btk to human illness.

Nonetheless, Public Health is aware that health effects may occur in some persons after exposure to any foreign substance.  In particular, some persons sensitive to inhaled allergens or irritants may experience allergic symptoms, respiratory irritation or rash.  Even through it has not been shown that such symptoms are related to Btk spraying, Public Health is recommending all persons minimize exposure to the pesticide at the time of the application.

Public Health – Seattle & King County has information on our Public Health Internet website at www.metrokc.gov/health that can help community members learn more about Btk and make informed decisions regarding whether special precautions are needed for certain individuals.

In addition, the Washington Department of Agriculture has a gypsy moth hotline, (800) 443-6684, to provide information on when spraying will occur, answer questions from the public and take reports from individuals and health-care providers who want to report health effects that they think may be related to the spraying.

We believe that carefully reviewing information related to the safety of Btk will be reassuring to the majority of our community.  For those with additional reservations, we hope the information provided allows you to make the best decisions regarding the individual health concerns.

 
Jeffrey S. Duchin, M.D.
Chief, Communicable Disease Control,
Epidemiology and Immunication Section
Alonzo L. Plough, Ph.D., MPH
Direcotor and health officer
Public Health – Seattle & King County
Seattle

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