One of the eight pillars of overall wellness is “environmental” and that means addressing and removal of toxins within your living spaces. A critical and unfortunately overlooked component of achieving building wellness is addressing the pathogens caused by vermin. Most facility managers and residents resolve pest intrusion by hiring a pest management professional that eradicates the pest activity but NOT the pathogens they leave behind. Rodents produce 3,000 micro-droplets of urine every day. Cockroaches, flies, and nuisance wildlife infestations routinely leave being 30+ bacterial pathogens that affect humans and pets. These vermin are considered “commensal pests” which in Latin means “sharing ones plate.” Because of their close proximity to humans and pets in our living spaces the disease transmission risks are amplified. NYC has determined this threat to be critical to human health and has enacted Local Law 55 the “Asthma-Free Housing Act” that mandates compliance on ALL buildings with 3+ units and on a federal level HUD has requirements under the Healthy Homes program.

This presentation and discussion will discuss compliance and how to address the pathogens that risk public health in buildings.