DOCTORS GET ADVICE ON PESTICIDE CASES.

Byline: Deborah Sullivan Daily News Staff Writer

Local physicians have a legal obligation to report known or suspected cases of pesticide poisoning, a state epidemiologist told doctors and residents Tuesday.

``Any physician who knows or has reasonable cause to believe that a patient is suffering from pesticide poisoning or condition caused by a pesticide shall promptly report that fact to the local health officer by telephone within 24 hours,'' said Richard G. Ames, reading from the state health and safety code.

``Please note the expression `has reasonable cause to believe,' '' said Ames, with the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. ``You do not have to be certain of pesticide illness to report it.''

About 30 residents and health-care providers attended the seminar, organized by County Health Officer Paul Russell.

Russell convened the seminar in response to complaints by residents who said they had suffered health problems including dizziness, nausea, fatigue and breathing trouble after methyl-bromide fumigation at nearby farms.

``It's encouraging that medical personnel in Ventura County are finally getting the information, so that patients can be sure they're getting the best medical care,'' said Camarillo resident Deborah Bechtel.

The controversy over methyl bromide led to a public review by the state Department of Pesticide Regulation in August. The department tightened requirements for two farmers using the chemical in their strawberry fields in Ventura and Camarillo. One grower later canceled his fumigation plans.

Unanswered, however, are questions about the cause of the residents' symptoms. Many visited doctors but were told their complaints were probably not caused by pesticide poisoning. Residents remained suspicious that farm chemicals were making them sick.

``I'm hoping that the physicians that attended this presentation are better aware of the problems associated with pesticide use and that they are better able to diagnose and manage (those problems),'' Russell said.

Rupali Das, a medical officer with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, said more than 1,200 active ingredients are used as pesticides in the United States, 100 of which have been reported to cause illness in California.

About 90 percent of pesticide poisoning cases come from occupational exposure, and the remaining 10 percent involve ``bystanders,'' which may be consumers, residents or others, Das said.

Poisoning can vary from mild to severe, and can exhibit a sprawling range of symptoms including central nervous system excitation or depression, drowsiness, tremors, seizures, respiratory difficulty, liver damage, bleeding and skin irritation or blistering, she said.

Further complicating diagnosis is the fact that there are no reliable tests for some pesticides - including methyl bromide.

Ames said residents who suspect they or their families have been exposed to pesticides should report their concerns to the county health officer and to the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.

Although the county agricultural commissioner is charged with enforcing pesticide laws, the mandate of that office is to ensure that growers comply with rules on pesticide use, Ames said. In contrast, his office is responsible for making sure those rules adequately protect health.