By Marley Seaman
The virus was first discovered in the area in September 1999, specifically in Whitestone and northeast Nassau. Since then, local agencies have increased their efforts to thwart the mosquito-borne disease.
However, despite the latest discoveries, Nassau County presently has no plans to spray the area because they don't know where the birds were infected. "Spraying adult mosquitoes would be a last resort," said Nassau County Health Department spokeswoman Cynthia Brown. "If the risk level looks like it could impact on the human population, that's where we would start to spray adulticide [pesticides designed to kill the adult female mosquito, which spreads West Nile.]"
The county has 42 traps that it uses to capture groups of mosquitoes, called pools, which are then sent upstate and tested for the virus. So far, seven mosquito pools have tested positive for West Nile this year. The first pool was collected on July 21 at Belmont Raceway. Since then, the disease has been detected in mosquitoes trapped in East Meadow, Westbury, West Hempstead, Hempstead, Elmont, and Wantagh. Mosquito control and testing has been increased at all of those areas.
The 1999 West Nile virus cases in New York were the first known appearances of the disease in the Western Hemisphere. Raptors such as crows and kestrels, the bird found in Malverne, are the most common carriers, and it is spread to humans mainly by Culex pipiens, the house mosquito. The insect typically lays eggs in and around houses, especially in pools of stagnant water. Mosquitoes are most active from late afternoon or dusk through dawn.
The Department of Health is urging people to eliminate potential breeding sites in their homes. Changing water in birdbaths every two to three days, cleaning clogged gutters, and emptying any other objects that can hold water all reduce the risk. Installing window and door screens is also recommended, as is using mosquito repellant and wearing long sleeves out of doors. The department also encourages people who see dead birds to call their toll-free hotline so they can monitor bird deaths and run tests for West Nile if necessary.
While the illness has killed four people in Nassau since its discovery, no humans have tested positive this year. It is most dangerous to the eldery, young children, and people with weakened immune systems.
Nassau County's mosquito suppression programs, which Brown says have existed for 80 years, include extensive spraying of larvicide to kill young mosquitoes in the salt marshes around Jones Beach.
