NEW YORK — If you haven’t noticed them yet, you may see trucks driving through your New York City neighborhood to control mosquitoes.
It’s all in an attempt to reduce the risk of West Nile virusThe season in the city generally runs from May to October.
These are the parts of the city that are being sprayed
There have been six serious cases in the city so far this year. To reduce the risk, the Department of Health has its trucks out until 6 a.m. spraying pesticides in parts of Manhattan, reportedly at a rate of one teaspoon per acre.
“This is a pesticide that we have been using for years. We know it is very safe, but we do recommend that people go indoors when spraying as an extra precaution,” said Dr. Sally Slavinski, director of the Zoonotic Borne Disease Unit.
Read more: What You Need to Know About West Nile Virus, Symptoms After Dr. Anthony Fauci Reveals Disease
A map shows the areas being sprayed, from the Upper East and Upper West sides to Inwood. Another spraying will take place in Brooklyn on Wednesday.
NYC Department of Public Health
According to Slavinski, the city routinely captures and tests mosquitoes through its extensive surveillance and control program.
“We use the surveillance system on the adult mosquitoes to determine where we see activity. That way we can control the adult mosquitoes if we see activity there,” Slavinski said.
What You Need to Know About West Nile Virus
“They’re kind of annoying,” said Harlem resident Langston Ford.
Ford, who is only 5 years old, was talking about mosquitoes and showed one of his many insect bites.
“On my legs, my hands. A lot, actually,” he said.
“He has the juiciest, sweetest skin in the world, so they bite him all the time,” added Carl Ford.
Langston’s father added that they always use insect repellent, which experts say is the best defense against mosquitoes that can carry diseases, the most common of which in our area are West Nile mosquitoes.
“The majority of the population that gets infected actually has no symptoms,” said Dr. Bernard Camins, medical director of infection prevention at the Mount Sinai Health System.
According to Camins, some people may experience mild to moderate symptoms, such as fever and body aches. In rare cases, they may become seriously ill, leading to encephalitis or meningitis.
“People are at risk, especially if they are 60 years or older, have had an organ transplant, or have diabetes or hypertension,” Camins said.
According to the Department of Health, the most effective way to control mosquitoes is to remove standing water from your property, which prevents mosquitoes from breeding.
Jenna DeAngelis
