Workers load insecticide into a helicopter to be sprayed over Queens.

What insecticides have been sprayed?

Malathion was sprayed from helicopters overhead and fogged through neighborhood streets throughout the day on Sept. 4. According to the City Health Department, an area roughly bounded by Flushing Bay and the Van Wyck Expwy to the west, Utopia Pkwy to the east, the Long Island Expwy to the south and the Long Island Sound to the north was sprayed by either fog truck or by air.

John Gadd, a spokesperson for the Health Department, said that "every effort was made to notify the public" of the spraying before it happened and pamphlets were issued in six different languages. Gadd added that the Health Department, working in cooperation with the OEM, had contacted "community groups" and other important organizations, however he could not provide information on who had been contacted and when.

However, Beechhurst residents jogged through mists of the insecticide in the early morning hours of Sept. 4 before receiving late morning warnings to stay indoors during spraying. Stores closed down in the Bay Terrace shopping center to send staff and customers home before nighttime spraying, yet on Bell Boulevard – just a few minutes away by car – residents walked the sidewalks and enjoyed the open-air feel of restaurants with their facades open to the street. Officials at New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens and Flushing Hospital could not confirm that they had received notification of spraying on Oct. 4.

The City is also doing ground spraying of VectoLex to kill the mosquito larva.

What is malathion?

The federal Environmental Protection Agency described malathion as a very mild pesticide designed for mosquito control. It is the mildest organo-phosphate and works by disrupting the nervous system of the bug, EPA spokesperson Nina Habib Spencer said. She added that it is commonly used in fighting mosquitoes infected with encephalitis virus, however she could not comment on its use in Queens because she was not familiar with the local specifics.

The use of malathion to control mosquito populations and encephalitis in Florida have been disputed by local residents who questioned the safety of the product that can be bought in any garden store. A bottle purchased at Keil Bros. garden center in Bayside had the following "precautionary statements":

"Caution: harmful if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through skin. Avoid breathing of spray mist or vapors. Avoid contact with skin. Wash thoroughly after using. Avoid contamination of feed or foodstuff . . . . This pesticide is toxic to fish, aquatic invertebrates, and aquatic life stages of amphibians. Do not apply directly to water."

Donald Keil of Keil Bros. added that the garden center has received numerous calls asking about malathion’s effect on garden vegetables. He advises that in addition to carefully washing vegetables, residents should wait five to seven days before eating them.

Where will insecticide be sprayed?

The Department of Health is determining areas that need to be sprayed "based on several factors" according to Gadd but predominantly based on what neighborhoods they see cases coming from.

During the night hours of Sept. 8, the Department of Health ordered aerial spraying of "non-residential areas of Queens including Alley Pond Park, Willow Park, Clearview Park and Golf Course, Fort Totten, Kissena Park and Golf Course, Douglaston Park and Golf Course, the southern portion of Flushing Meadows, Cedar Grove Cemetery, Mount Hebron Cemetery." The announcement was made following repeated statements throughout the day that there would be no further aerial spraying in Queens. OEM officials said they could not indicate at presstime if there would be more spraying in Queens in the days ahead.

The City Health Department announcement added that to ensure the safety of local public schools in the affected areas of Queens "localized spraying will take place overnight and will continue each evening until the mosquito population is eliminated."

How do you protect yourself?

At a quickly called a press conference held at the foot of Powell’s Cove Park on Sept. 3, Mayor Rudy Giuliani urged area residents to remain calm as he demonstrated how to apply insect repellent – a method City health officials are touting as one of several ways those in Northeast Queens can prevent being infected by the rare bug-borne virus.

Insect repellent was being distributed to northeast Queens residents at area firehouses beginning late last week.

"This is not a moment for panic," added Borough President Claire Shulman at the swampy Powell’s Cove Park where Health officials believe many of the infectious mosquitoes were breeding.

City Commissioner of Health Dr. Neal Cohen, told residents that the chances of being bitten by the mosquito – which is scientifically classified as the culex pipiens mosquito—were small.

Information being distributed by the City Health Department told residents to:

• Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks when outdoors and use mosquito repellant on exposed skin.

• Use insect repellants with no more than 30 percent DEET, but use sparingly and with care. Products containing 15 percent or less DEET are recommended for children but products containing DEET should not be used on infants.

• Avoid unnecessary outdoor activity from dusk until dawn when mosquitoes are most active.

• Remove water from cans and jars, discarded tires, clogged roof gutters, yard decorations or any other outdoor containers since mosquitoes lay eggs in standing water.

• Ensure that your home has tight-fitting screens over windows and doors to keep mosquitoes from entering apartments and homes.

What about Shea, the USTA and LaGuardia Airport?

No aerial spraying was done at Shea Stadium or the USTA center where the U.S. Open is ongoing.

According to Queens Chief of Operations for the Parks Department Rich Murphy, the City Health Department inspected the park and informed the Parks Department that there was no need for aerial spraying. They identified spots where stagnant water should be removed, and that was done immediately Murphy said. Both the USTA and Shea Stadium organizers advised guests to their stadiums about the situation and offered easy access to bug repellent.

At LaGuardia airport, the Port Authority did their own inspection for mosquitoes, according to Port Authority spokesperson Peter Yerkes. Though they have had no problem with mosquitoes or infection with the disease, Yerkes added that the Port Authority has decided independently to do ground spraying for mosquitoes as a precaution. The spraying will begin Sept. 9 and continue for two to three days, depending on what is found, Yerkes said.

Who is in charge?

The Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management is coordinating and overseeing efforts to fight the mosquito populations and help control the spread of the disease. However, the City Health Department is in charge of disseminating information about new cases and fatalities and is also directing which areas of Queens will be sprayed.

How did we find it?

Doctors at Flushing Hospital first put together the clues that lead to the diagnosis.

During a press conference on Sept. 7, the doctors explained that they now believe they have seen seven cases at their hospital . . . the first being admitted on Aug. 12. Two of those patients – an 87-year-old woman and a 80-year-old man, died at the hospital. Their patients ranged in age from 29 to 87, with the most recent suspected cases being a 29-year-old woman from Beechhurst who has already been released and a 47-year-old man from Bayside admitted on Sept. 2.

Dr. Deborah Asnis, the chief of infectious diseases at the Flushing Hospital and a former resident of Whitestone, stressed that the disease will present itself differently in different age groups and that it includes a very wide range of symptoms. She urged residents to check on elderly neighbors living alone and the team of doctors at Flushing encouraged residents who believe they may be infected to seek the advice of their doctor or go to their local hospital. Asnis attended both P.S. 193 and J.H.S. 194 before her family moved from the Whitestone area and she expressed concern for area seniors, adding that although children are also at high risk no pediatric cases have been reported at Flushing Hospital at this time.

What are residents are saying?

Vicky Lanzelloto, a resident of 11 Ave. just across from the marshy epicenter, claimed that the mosquito problem was nothing new to the area.

"I don’t feel they flew here this past week," said Lanzelloto who says that on any given night during the summer months she kills up to 20 mosquitoes in her bedroom alone.

One area resident who requested his name to be withheld said that he has grown accustomed to the area insect problem in recent years going as far as to purchase mosquito netting for his children’s beds.

"This year has been the worst for mosquitoes," he added.

Two hundred and fifty City workers reportedly scrambled to pass out literature and cans of insect repellent shortly before helicopters were sent on missions to spray insecticide over areas suspected to be breeding grounds for the deadly mosquitoes.

"We lost a ton of money, but it’s better off losing money than lives," said Mike Brouse, manager at Applebee’s restaurant in Bay Terrace which shut its doors around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday because of aerial spraying.

About half of the stores in the shopping complex closed, according to Brouse.

"We were asked to vacate by 5 p.m.," said Brendan who is the assistant manager at the Clearview Golf Course in Bayside where many golfers ended their games early.

"People are very scared and very concerned," said Marilyn Bitterman, district manager of Community Board 7.

Bitterman felt that if City officials had given board 7 advanced notice of the situation perhaps they could have aided in disseminating information to the public.

The district manager expressed concern for area residents whose blocks may have been sprayed with pesticides before they had enough time to be notified.

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