The Fraser Health Authority has written doctors advising them to be on the lookout for a long list of potential health complaints from patients related to aerial gypsy moth spraying in Surrey and Delta.

The letter informs doctors, in part, that “there have been reports of health effects related to the spraying that occurred on April 15th. At least two individuals who were directly exposed to the spray have sought care in emergency departments. Health complaints from past sprays have included headaches, eye irritation, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and dermal and GI (gastrointestinal) symptoms.”

The letter is far different from the public message from health authorities suggesting that the spraying is safe and there are no grounds for public health concerns.

A provincial website states that spraying with Btk, a biological insecticide, is “harmless to non-target organisms (other than some species of caterpillars), especially humans. It can be applied over populated areas and water bodies with very little risk.”

Clayton Heights resident Ryan Bennett is an outspoken critic of both the spraying and how the notification has been handled.

“It is certainly contradictory,” he said. “They seem to do a lot of doubletalk.”

Bennett noted the health authority says the pesticide is safe while recommending residents stay indoors with the windows and doors closed during spraying. “Why would that be necessary if it is inert?”

The web designer/marketer said 1,200 people have signed an online petition asking for the spraying program to stop. He believes Health Canada should investigate, and blames the spraying for the fact his son was born five weeks premature, on April 26.

Asked to explain the discrepancy, medical health officer Dr. Lisa Mu sent The Vancouver Sun a written statement, saying: “The letter was sent to physicians as a precautionary measure. We had been hearing anecdotal accounts of people being ill after the last spraying, and we wanted physicians to be aware of what past complaints had been, and to document these cases, including taking a complete medical history.

“We have a responsibility to monitor the situation, and gather relevant information in order to provide meaningful input to our provincial and federal counterparts.”

European gypsy moths, first seen in B.C. in 1978, are defoliating insects that eat the leaves of fruit trees, blueberries and hazelnuts. Where infestations are left untreated, B.C. may fall under quarantine and trade restrictions for products like Christmas trees, logs with bark, or nursery plants, with the potential for greater restrictions on transport of goods.

The $1.3-million spraying program involves the use of low-flying helicopters in the early morning hours across 4,576 hectares of Surrey and 204 hectares in Delta. The first round started April 15, the second round is finishing up this week, and the third and final round is slated to begin around May 10.

Health Canada’s website says Btk is a bacterium found naturally in soils and poses little threat to human health either through handling products directly or through indirect exposure during spraying. For Btk toxins to be activated, alkaline conditions that exist only in certain insects’ digestive systems must be present.