First World Pest Day launched in Beijing

Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-06 18:56:01|Editor: ying
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BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The first World Pest Day, a milestone in the global pest management industry, was launched in Beijing Tuesday, aiming for the eventual reduction and elimination of pest-borne diseases.

The inaugural World Pest Day, initiated by the Chinese Pest Control Association (CPCA), international organizations and associations, was proposed to increase awareness of pest-borne diseases and safeguard public health through scientific and professional pest control methods.

More than 30 national and international organizations signed to support the initiative.

CPCA President Xu Jianguo said the launching of World Pest Day came at the right time as the number of mosquito, tick, and rodent-borne diseases, such as Zika virus, yellow fever, dengue fever and malaria, were on the rise in recent years.

The severity of invasion had also increased due to a rapidly warming planet, accelerating urbanization and booming trade and tourism, according to Xu.

Statistics from the World Health Organization show that more than one billion people worldwide are exposed to vector-borne diseases, and every year one million people lose their lives as a result. The economic costs of these diseases amount to more than 17 percent of the total costs of infectious diseases.

CPCA Vice President Huang Xiaoyun said that more people were expected to participate in the fight against the threat posed to public health worldwide.

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