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INDUSTRY COMMITTED TO WEST NILE VIRUS
CONTROL MEASURES
(Etobicoke, June 11, 2003) - Canada's pest management industry is committed to helping limit the spread of West Nile virus (WNV) through programs and measures designed to protect humans from exposure to mosquitoes that may carry disease.
Industry members are working with government and municipal officials to support effective mosquito control programs throughout the country. As well, they're offering the public a new, comprehensive website section detailing information on WNV prevention and control.
"The industry is deeply concerned about the West Nile virus problem,
and our members have the expertise needed to help deal with it,"
says Debra Conlon, Executive Director of the Urban Pest Management
Council of Canada (UPMC). "We are committed as an industry to giving
people as much information as we can about West Nile virus, and
to helping governments, municipalities and health boards with the
tools that can control and repel mosquitoes at all their life stages."
Conlon and Shannon Coombs, vice-president of the Canadian Consumer
Specialty Products Association (CCSPA) are inviting the public to
use the dedicated WNV portion of CropLife Canada's website, www.croplife.ca/WNV,
to develop a deeper understanding of WNV in Canada.
"This website will inform and educate Canadians about how to protect themselves from mosquitoes this summer," says Coombs.
The industry advocates a WNV-control approach based on the principles of integrated pest management (IPM). That includes preventing mosquito breeding grounds from forming, wearing proper clothing to prevent bites, and if required, using federally registered insect repellents and products to control mosquito larvae and adults.
"Pest management products that protect against biting insects that transmit disease are among the many benefits the industry brings to society," says Conlon. "These products are evaluated and regulated by Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency, and they can be used safely and are effective when used according to label instructions."
CropLife Canada (www.croplife.ca)
is a national trade association representing the developers, manufacturers,
and distributors of plant science innovations - pest-control products
and plant biotechnology - for use in agriculture, urban and public
health settings.
The Urban Pest Management Council of Canada (http://urbanpestmanagement.ca)
represents the manufacturers, formulators, distributors and allied
associations of specialty pest management products, for the consumer
or professional markets used in turf, ornamental, pest management,
forestry, aquatic, vegetation management and other non-food/fibre
applications.
The Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association (www.ccspa.org)
is a national trade association representing the consumer, industrial
and institutional specialty products industry.
For more information, contact:
Renée Mactaggart,
Director of Communications, CropLife Canada,
at 416-622-9771.
Email: mactaggartr@croplife.ca
Shannon Coombs,
Vice-President, CCSPA,
at 613-232-6616, Ext.18.
Email: coombss@ccspa.org.
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