CDC Experts Train Orkin Specialists on Pest-Related Health Risks

ATLANTA – Specialists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) educated hundreds of Orkin residential and commercial pest control technicians across the country on pests and related diseases during a live broadcast this week. Dr. Benjamin Park of the CDC’s Mycotic Diseases Branch and Jesse Blanton, MPH epidemiologist of the CDC’s Rabies Program, led an in-depth seminar on wildlife and related diseases using Orkin’s interactive satellite television communications network.

This year’s expanded program offered two live broadcasts and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for participating technicians. More than 275 of the company’s 400 field locations participated in the live broadcast. A video-on-demand feature will carry the broadcast for one year, allowing those that could not participate in the live session to view the program.

The broadcast provided valuable insight on wildlife pests, including opossums, raccoons, squirrels and bats, and the diseases these animals can carry. Park and Blanton also addressed current public health issues, including rabies and histoplasmosis, and how to reduce the risk of exposure to these diseases. Through Orkin’s first-of-its-kind live broadcast technology, introduced in January 2006, participants were able to communicate with the instructors in real-time using TV monitors and interactive keypads in each field location. 

“Through our unique partnership with the CDC, we have strengthened our training program even further by equipping our specialists with the knowledge to educate and partner with customers to reduce pest-related health threats around their homes and workplaces,” said Glen Rollins, president and chief operating officer of Orkin, Inc.