Queens Tribune
 
....August 3, 5:46 PM
 
 
 
A Confluence Of Trouble: The Mix Of Stagnant Water, West Nile, Dragon Boats Are A Cause For Concern

A section of the path is practically impassable.
By Lee Landor and M. Junaid Alam

In Flushing Meadows Corona Park, colorful dragonflies zip around families of ducks and geese and hover over walking paths.

But they’re not here for sightseeing – they’re here for food.

Mosquitoes, a favorite prey of dragonflies, also swarm across an array of small puddles, where discolored, stagnant water marks the landscape near the north end of Meadow Lake.



A Doctor Acts

The troublesome puddles and the insects they harbor came to the attention of Dr. Michael Landor, an AIDS, allergy and immunology physician in Kew Garden Hills, when his patients complained about their presence.

Landor frequently recommends that his patients, especially the obese, diabetic, hypertensive, and depressed, engage in daily physical activity at the park – one of the few locations for extensive walking and jogging in Queens.

“Walking is the cheapest and most basic exercise available to every patient, and may be the only one available to this community,” Landor said. “The most natural and accessible resource we have in this area for walking, biking and jogging is Flushing Meadows Park.”

But Landor now fears that the park may do more harm than good to his patients’ health because of the mosquito swarms. And with the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival, which brings far heavier foot traffic to the park, his concerns may affect a much broader range of park visitors.



Swarming Insects

On a recent walk there, the doctor said he encountered “a few hundred mosquitoes engulfing [me].” The results were predictably unpleasant: “I even swallowed some of them.”

His patients have had trouble trying to circumvent the numerous large puddles interrupting the walking path. In one case, a thin wooden plank has been laid down to “bridge” two parts of the path bisected by a large puddle.

“It is true,” one park visitor responded when recently asked if the puddles made walking problematic. “I hate it, and I can’t stand it.”

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Debris and algae float freely in standing water.

In the Queens area, where so many residents are immigrants, the working poor, or on welfare, Landor noted, a failure to exercise combined with what is likely a poor diet is doubly dangerous.

The Kew Gardens physician said he is also concerned that the mosquitoes are harbingers of disease, particularly West Nile Virus. He also fears that wild migrating birds may mix with the local population of ducks and geese, creating the potential for avian influenza, though he added that this was not his area of expertise.



Disease Discovery

Department of Health and Mental Hygiene spokeswoman Sarah Markt said avian influenza is not a concern because it does not generally exist in the United States. William Nieter, the Director of Environmental Studies at St. John’s University, also said avian influenza was not a danger at the park.

But in light of the state Department of Health’s recent discovery of West Nile Virus in mosquitoes sampled from the Flushing area, Nieter urged informed caution.

“This is not a panic kind of disease,” he said, noting that less than one percent of those bitten by mosquitoes harboring the virus actually become sick. Nonetheless, he added, “there is no reason to deliberately, or unconsciously, expose (yourself) to mosquitoes.” He urges park goers to wear pants and insect repellant, and suggests that those most vulnerable — the old and the young —simply stay away.

West Nile Virus is a seasonal epidemic which, according to the Center for Disease Control, can cause high fever, headache, and tremors, among other problems, for those exhibiting serious symptoms. It targets those with weak immune systems. Since 2000, 254 human cases, including 26 deaths, have been attributed to the disease in New York State.

Both Markt, the health department official, and Nieter say that mosquito swarms are a problem regardless of any West Nile implications. The puddles, Nieter said, “should absolutely be removed.”



Standing Water

During a recent visit to Meadow Lake, it was apparent that the barrier containing the lake does not sufficiently separate the water from the pavement. Trails of sopping, muddy grass cut through the ground between the two.

It also appeared that rain water accumulated due to poor drainage. Discolored, rusty, moss-laden water in one puddle seemed to be gathering from an overflowing manhole.

To overcome the water, some visitors interrupted their routines to hop onto the grass or take an alternate route.

The cause of the leaking manhole is a collapsed drain, said Department of Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Abigail Lootens. The recent heavy rains and flooding created the standing water there, she said.

The drainage system at the park dates back to the 1964 New York World’s Fair, Lootens said, and the Parks Department is researching options for repairing it. In addition, the Department of Environmental Protection was notified of the problem and that specific puddle was expected to be drained July 27.

While Lootens referred further questions about other large puddles to the DEP, a DEP spokesman said the water is the Parks Department’s responsibility and that the DEP is not involved.

Within two days of seeking answers about the stagnant water from the Parks Department, a Tribune staffer observed a city employee in a Parks Department truck taking a sample of the standing water.

Lootens said that task is usually carried out by the DEP with advance notice to her office, though as of press time she did not know who conducted the tests.

With the Dragon Boat Festival expected to draw thousands of park visitors this weekend, standing water is on the Parks Departments’ priority list. Lootens said it will be pumped in advance of the event.