Man Ill; Spraying Intensifies

Spraying has intensified around Staten Island after a man was diagnosed with West Nile Virus:

After a Staten Island man was diagnosed as having the state’s first human case of West Nile virus this year, the city Health Department will spray pesticide from trucks tomorrow between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. in the following neighborhoods: New Dorp, Oakwood, Oakwood Beach, Bay Terrace, Chelsea, Graniteville, Bloomfield, Bulls Head, Old Place and Mariners Harbor.

If weather doesn’t permit, spraying will be delayed until Thursday or the next possible night.

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For this application, city workers will apply Anvil 10+10 (Sumithrin), a synthetic pyrethroid used in mosquito-control efforts. A 2001 study sponsored by the city Health Department found that the pesticide had no repercussions for people’s health when applied correctly. To read the report, go to http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/wnv/feis.shtml.

During the application, people with asthma or other respiratory conditions are encouraged to stay indoors, since there is the possibility that spraying could worsen these conditions. It’s all right to run air conditioners, but to reduce the possibility of exposure, health officials recommend closing the machines’ vents.

See also: Save The Dorp!