Record Attendance at Regional Conference

A record 91 people attended the Southeast Regional Public Health Pest and Vector Management Conference hosted by the John A. Mulrennan Sr., Public Health Entomology Research and Education Center.  New Zealand, Mexico and Tennessee were some of the most distant geographic points represented.  The risk of introductions of exotic arthropod-borne pathogens from distant points of the globe was highlighted in both plenary lectures and "hands-on" workshops.  The surprising appearance of West Nile virus in New York City during August 1999 has alerted Florida mosquito control districts to be prepared for the emergence of unexpected insect borne diseases.

The conference offered a wide variety of continuing education topics tailored for environmental, public health, pest and mosquito control professionals.  Pesticide application equipment calibration, mosquito, tick, biting gnat ID, mosquito trapping and respirator training were some of the topics offered in hands-on workshops.  These topics are relevant to the vital services that are provided by the insect management industry and to the needs of the pesticide applicators who represented the majority of the attendees. 

Training and re-certification were important objectives of the conference.  Sixty-three of the 91 registrants signed attendance sheets for continuing education units.  Next year's conference will continue the tradition of providing high quality training that enables insect control operators to keep current in their chosen professional field.

Panama City Beach wil be the venue for next year's conference which is scheduled for February 13, 14, 15, 2001.

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Dr. Jack Petersen
Tel:   (850) 872-4184
E: drjack3@hotmail.com