By VICTORIA A. CARUSO
Norbert Golbry was walking his dog on Sunday, August 6 through the Briarcliff section of North Merrick when he spotted a dead crow lying in the street. The next day, Mr. Golbry and his wife, Myra, spotted yet another dead crow in their next-door neighbor's driveway.
Concerned that the birds might test positive for the West Nile virus, Ms. Golbry said she immediately called the Nassau County Health Department. "The operator asked the location of the bird, how long ago the bird was observed, and if we knew how long it had been there," said Ms. Golbry. "The operator took our information, but we have no way of knowing who, if anyone, picked up the dead crow."
That leaves the Golbrys fearful that the county may not be taking sufficient measures to protect residents from the potentially deadly West Nile virus.
Last week, residents in the East Meadow-North Bellmore area found dead pigeons in their yards. They worry that the birds died of the West Nile virus, but county health workers will not come to pick up the birds, saying they are only testing crows right now. Crows, officials say, are most likely to succumb to the virus.
Doreen Bryce, of East Meadow, whose home falls in the North Bellmore Fire District, said, "Birds are dropping dead all over the place, but they told me they aren't testing anything other than crows."
All this comes on the heels of a recent "emergency" West Nile virus meeting, held at Wantagh High School by the Nassau County Health Department and County Comptroller Fred Parola, a Wantagh resident. The meeting's purpose was to allay residents' fears about the spread of the West Nile virus after a crow that died of the disease was found in North Wantagh.
County health officials are cautioning residents not to panic over the potential spread of the West Nile virus. They note that, to date, Nassau County has received the fewest number of West Nile reports in the New York metropolitan area. Of the 300 birds tested for the disease in Nassau County, only 11 have died of it.
Additionally, Cynthia Brown, spokesperson for the Nassau County Department of Health, noted that birds cannot transmit the West Nile virus to humans, only mosquitoes. Mosquitoes, she said, prefer to bite birds. However, she did say, "If we are in the way, they are going to bite us."
County health workers say they are swamped by reports of dead birds and cannot get to every one that is called in to the county's West Nile virus hotline. That, in part, is the reason the county is confining its dead bird collection to crows only. This summer alone, the county has received 6,700 reports of dead birds.
Also, health officials said, not every bird can be tested. "In order for a bird to be a candidate for testing," Ms. Brown said, "it must be dead less than 24 hours, show no signs of trauma and be free of maggots."
However, Ms. Brown did say that, although the county may not collect a dead bird, it still tracks the dead bird report. "Every last report and complaint is put on a county map so we have a good idea where the sightings have occurred," said Ms. Brown. "We increase the surveillance and the monitoring of mosquito traps in the areas where they have been found." To date, Nassau County has set up 44 mosquito traps.
According to County Executive Thomas Gulotta, mosquito spraying is currently not needed. "No human cases of West Nile [have been] discovered in the county and no mosquitoes have turned up positive..." said Mr. Gulotta in a prepared statement. "If infected mosquitoes are found in the area, a value judgment will be made to determine if limited spraying is required."
However, Ms. Golbry worries that the county's decision not to spray is related to its fiscal problems. "All the other counties around us are spraying, and we're not," said Ms. Golbry. "Yet, there are dead birds. Is it because they really don't need to or because they don't have the money?"
According to the New York State Department of Health Web site, Rockland County has seen 65 cases of dead birds with the West Nile virus this summer, Suffolk County 30, Staten Island 27, Westchester County 16 and Nassau 11. To date this year, three humans in the metropolitan area, all from Staten Island, have tested positive for the virus.
Tips for reducing mosquitoes in your yard
1. Empty standing water from outdoor objects such as garbage cans, old tires and children's toys. (Stagnant water attracts mosquitoes.)
2. Change the water in bird baths every two to three days.
3. Use yellow bug lights rather than the bug zappers that kill beneficial insects.
4. Install windows and door screens and keep them in good repair.
5. Keep swimming pools chlorinated and their covers free of stagnant water.
6. Clean and unclog rain gutters so water can drain properly.
For your information...
To report a dead bird, call the Nassau County Mosquito Control at 571-8707, Monday through Friday from 9 A.M. to 4:45 P.M.
For up-to-date information on aerial spraying and recent cases of the virus, call the Nassau County West Nile Virus Information Line at (516) 571-2500, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
West Nile Virus information for the State of New York is also available by calling 1-800-458-1158 or through the New York State Department of Health's Web site, www.health.state.ny.us.
