Ministry provided with final reports on Painted Apple Moth and Asian Gypsy Moth health services

Media release

29 June 2005

Ministry provided with final reports on Painted Apple Moth and Asian Gypsy Moth health services.

The Ministry of Health has been provided with copies of the final health monitoring reports from the providers of the Painted Apple Moth and Asian Gypsy Moth health support services.

Aer’Aqua Medical Services, funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, provided health support services during aerial application programmes to eradicate the Painted Apple Moth (PAM) in West Auckland and the Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM) in Hamilton. MAF has provided copies of these reports to the Ministry of Health.

These reports showed that during the PAM programme, from 2002 to 2004, approximately 1.6% of the population in the residential area included in the eradication programme reported heath concerns to the health service. The most commonly reported symptoms were respiratory or skin ailments and headaches. There were 689 people who received a support plan, such as spray avoidance through relocation for the day or night, from the service.

In the AGM programme in 2003, approximately 3.6% of people who resided in the area sprayed reported health effects to the health service. The most commonly reported symptoms were respiratory and skin concerns. There were 316 people provided with practical support plans.

“We are pleased that these reports do not find anything that wasn’t expected for this spraying programme,“ said Director of Public Health, Dr Mark Jacobs.

Health Risk Assessments (HRA) for the biological spray Foray48B, conducted by the Auckland District Health Board prior to the spraying, concluded that some people may complain of minor skin, eye and upper respiratory tract irritation, or aggravation of existing asthma or allergies if directly exposed to the spray.

“We must acknowledge however that though we may call them minor health effects to some people they were distressing and uncomfortable.”

An independent review of these reports, commissioned by the Ministry of Health, concluded that

The draft reports are based on those people who lived in the spray area who either telephoned on their own or another household member’s behalf or attended the Health Service. In the absence of a random survey (e.g. telephone) of residents carried out during the spray programme it is not known how representative of the health status of the total population they were, although it is reasonable to assume that those with more severe and more frequent symptoms would have reported them.
The predominant symptoms were nonspecific. In the absence of background prevalence data for these symptoms it is not possible to determine to what extent, if any, they were associated with the spray and to what extent they were the result of increased health awareness as a result of publicity about the spray programme.
Whilst the commonest reported symptoms (respiratory, skin) were those that may be associated with an environmental irritant, and expected from the HRA of Foray 48B, there was no evidence of a dose-response relationship suggesting that increased health awareness may be the more likely explanation.
There is no evidence of widespread adverse health effects associated with the spray.
The findings are consistent with current knowledge about the human health impact of aerial spraying of Btk, including Foray 48B

The Ministry of Health is expecting a number of further reports from MAF and a report by the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) into hospitalisation rates in West Auckland before and during the PAM programme.

Once these reports are available, the Ministry will review all the information it has received in relation to health issues associated with the eradication programmes, and recommend to MAF what, if any, further investigation or action is required.

The Ministry of Health is one of several agencies, who have provided advice to MAF on this programme.

For further information please phone
Annie Coughlan
04 495 4376 or 0274 343 222
email annie_coughlan@moh.govt.nz