Umweltbundesamt
Click to enlargeVarious animals may serve as hosts for infectious agents and can transmit diseases to other animals as well as humans. Insects, mites and ticks can be found amongst these so-called vectors. Vertebrates, for example rats and mice, may also act as vectors or as disease reservoir.
The Testing Facility of Pests of Public Health Importance of the German Environment Agency (UBA) is part of Division IV 1.4 "Health Pests and their Control". The efficacy tests carried out here are relevant for the approval of products and methods for the control of health pests, scabies mites and head lice in accordance with paragraph 18 section 4 of the German Protection against Infection Act (Infektionsschutzgesetz - IfSG). The UBA is the federal authority responsible for this approval and publishes information on its website on how to apply for testing and listing of products and methods in accordance with paragraph 18 section 4 IfSG as well as a list of all approved products and procedures in accordance with paragraph 18 section 4 IfSG.
In addition, as part of its responsibility for "Health pests and their control", Division IV 1.4 is also investigating the effects of climate change on the distribution and population dynamics of various vectors and other pests of public health importance.
The Testing Facility of Pests of Public Health Importance carries out efficacy tests on traps, contact and bait agents and methods against various pests (including lice, mosquitoes, cockroaches, bedbugs, pharaoh ants, fleas, flies and rodents).
In the area of arthropod testing, bait products, sprays, nebulisers, rubbing agents (medicines and medical products against head lice, clothes lice) and methods are tested and evaluated for their efficacy. In the field of rodent testing, trap systems and bait protection stations are tested and evaluated and bait products are assessed.
The work in the Testing Facility of Pests of Public Health Importance is subject to the UBA quality management system, which is based on DIN EN ISO/IES 17025 and ensures high quality in the performance of tests, reliability of results and traceability in the long term.
New test methods are developed and existing test methods are refined in the Testing Facility of Pests of Public Health Importance. These findings are also used in collaboration with international bodies such as the ECHA (European Chemicals Agency), the WHO (World Health Organisation) and the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) to develop guidelines for the testing and evaluation of products and methods against certain pests. For example, test methods established in the Testing Facility of Pests of Public Health Importance were introduced to the OECD and published as OECD guidelines for testing the efficacy of bait products against cockroaches and ants (see links).
The Testing Facility of Pests of Public Health Importance also carries out tests to prove the efficacy of non-chemical alternatives for controlling vectors and other pests of public health importance and develops new test methods. In the control of arthropods, for example, physical methods such as thermal devices or sticky traps are alternative control methods. In the field of rodent control, tests on the efficacy of rodent traps are carried out. In co-operation with experts from European scientific institutes, authorities and companies, a guideline for testing and evaluating rodent traps has been developed under the leadership of Division IV 1.4 (NoCheRo guideline, see publications).
The UBA’s motto, For our environment (“Für Mensch und Umwelt”), sums up our mission pretty well, we feel. In this video we give an insight into our work.
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