West Nile Round 2:
The Spraying Begins

By RICHARD FASANELLA

The death of a single blue jay in Douglaston has plunged Queens back into the mosquito wars and left neighbors to spend their summer nights behind closed windows and warm air conditioners, peering out for signs of pesticide spray and still searching for answers.

The New York State Department of Health has confirmed evidence of West Nile virus in the blue jay as well as in a crow and falcon-like merlin found just south of Forest Park in Woodhaven and Richmond Hill.

New York City Health Commissioner Neal Cohen, M.D. said the City is now carrying out strategic ground-based adult mosquito control in and around the areas where the virus was detected, to reduce the potential for human illnesses. The Health Commissioner said that spraying will reduce the number of mosquitoes in those areas that may have fed on the infected birds.

Spraying has typically been taking place at night — between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. — but all spraying plans are contingent on the weather. Since the pesticide dissipates in water, health officials cannot spray when it rains. When spraying does occur, the Health Department encourages people to wash down children’s bikes and toys, their garden vegetables, or their outdoor tables and pools after the spraying.

For this spraying effort, the City is using Anvil. The active ingredient in Anvil is sumithrin, a synthetic chemical similar to the natural pesticide produced by chrysanthemum flowers which quickly breaks down in sunlight and water. According to the Health Department, the health risks associated with sumithrin — when used in accordance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) guidelines — are negligible.

The EPA currently has experts in the field monitoring the City’s spraying efforts.

"We have representatives from our pesticides programs on site at the various command centers. So, for example, when spraying occurs in Queens, we have people there monitoring the situation," said Nina Habib Spencer, a spokesperson for the EPA. "Some of the things we look for is to make sure that the pesticides are loaded properly, that they’re diluted in the right amounts and that the equipment is working correctly. So far we have not witnessed any violations."

The Tribune was unable to reach the DEC for comment.

Erich Giebelhaus, a spokesman for the Department of Health, told the Tribune that due to "time constraints" the northeastern portion of Queens was not completely sprayed with pesticide on Monday, July 24, though that was what local residents were expecting and as late as 7 p.m. on July 25 the Department’s website had not been updated. Workers were unable to spray the community of Douglaston Manor as well as portions of Little Neck.

Powell’s Cove served as ground zero in the West Nile fight. So far traces of the disease have not been found there this year. Tribune Photo By Ira Cohen

The DOH decided to go back and incorporate the areas they missed into the spraying scheduled for Tuesday, July 25. John Gadd, another spokesman for the Health Department, explained that the agency was continuing its outreach efforts to let local community and civic organizations know about the spraying schedule, but that he did not know if anyone in the Douglaston or Little Neck area had specifically been notified. Gadd also could not tell the Tribune how the Department had reached out to the community it did contact.

According to Ann Marie Boranyan, district manager of Community Board 11 which encompasses Douglaston and Little Neck, a representative of the Health Department did not contact the Board to make them aware of the change in the spraying schedule.

"While there is a tremendous improvement this summer from last summer about publicizing the spraying schedule, nobody at the Health Department notified us about the spraying that took place on Tuesday night," Boranyan said. "That’s unfortunate because it really didn’t leave us with any time to get the word out to local residents that spraying would occur in the area."

Micheal Regan, director of communications for the City Council, said "The information [about schedule changes and notification] received from the Tribune is quite troubling. Health Committee Chairman Councilman Victor Robles and Speaker Peter Vallone have made it clear in their statements that prior notification of the public is absolutely required here. The Speaker will be contacting the Health Department to insure that notification continues to happen in Queens."

During the 1999 camapign against the West Nile virus, much of College Point served as ground zero but as of press time health officials have not found traces of the virus in that neighborhood. Nevertheless, residents are still concerned about the potential threat that the virus as well as the pesticide may present.

"This year it seems like the City has improved the way they’re handling the situation, but then again they haven’t sprayed here yet," said Sabina Cardali, a community activist from College Point. "I don’t know too much about Anvil yet, but what distresses me is that they go out and use this stuff full blast without really knowing the full effects."

Cardali said that every time she goes outside she reminds her neighbors to stay covered up in an attempt to avoid bites from mosquitoes that normally abound in her neighborhood. Her greatest concern, though, continues to be the effect that this new pesticide may have on people throughout Queens.

"I want people to be safe from the West Nile virus, but I don’t want the pesticide to be another unsafe factor," Cardali said. "I know the Mayor is trying to do what’s best, but if your not well versed about this pesticide then you shoudn’t say its safe."

However, not everyone shares Cardali’s viewpoint.

Adrain Joyce, chairman of Community Board 7 which encompasses College Point, said that he is confident that the City is doing a competent job in responding to this year’s threat from the West Nile virus.

"While I think there are less mosquitoes this year, it’s hard to say for sure," Joyce said. "But it does appear that the City is doing a great job. The spraying that’s taking place is simply a necessary evil."

Dr. William Nieter, director of Environmental Studies at St. John’s University and president of the Alley Pond Environmental Center, has also expressed his doubts concerning the effectiveness of spraying pesticides throughout the borough.

"The City has sprayed while seemingly disregarding public opinion," Nieter said. "They honestly believe this is right and while we disagree, there’s not much we can do. The City is not responsive, they’re not listening. The spraying response should be proportionate to the threat. No one has gotten sick, and spraying won’t keep people from getting sick."

Nieter, a native of Bayside, said that the night after his nieghborhood was sprayed on Monday, July 24, he was bitten by a mosquito.

"Of course, this is only anectdotal evidence," Nieter added. "I may have been bitten by the one-in-a-million mosquito that survived the spraying, but it just goes to show that spraying is a make-believe answer."

While the City continues its current battle against the West Nile virus, health officials are already seeking information that may help them devise even better disease-fighting strategies.

"This is a two part study," said Barbara Reynolds, a spokesperson with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Scientists will trap several [sparrows] and in 2 to 3 months will go back and collect more."

The CDC will test the sparrows to see whether their blood has antibodies that might be useful in combating the disease.

"The effort is being made so that we can draw some conclusions about how the virus is moving through the environment," Reynolds said, adding that this series of testing is not part of the ongoing prevention efforts for this year. "We’re hoping this will give us some answers to help us learn more about West Nile for next year."

Last year, four people from Queens died and dozens of others were sickened by the West Nile virus. In order to reduce the risk posed by this disease, City health officials working in conjunction with several State and Federal agencies, implemented a massive surveillance and prevention program.

Queens residents can learn more about what the City is doing to combat West Nile virus as well as receive updates on the current spraying schedule from WCBS Radio 880 at 6:56 a.m. and 6:56 p.m. each day, through other media, by calling the West Nile virus information line at 1-877-WNV-4NYC, by checking the Health Department website at nyc.gov/health, and by calling community boards and elected officials.