The not-so-deadly West Nile Virus

Paul Cherubini monarch at saber.net
Mon Aug 27 21:43:17 EDT 2001


Michael Gochfeld wrote:

> Contrary to the 1999 news media in New York and the 2001 news media in
> Florida, West Nile is NOT a particularly deadly virus. 

According to a 7-21-2001 Environmental News Service article 
http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001/07/07242001/virus_44396.asp
last year in New York state, West Nile virus infection was confirmed in:

1,263 dead birds
400 mosquito pools,
10 live wild birds,
8 sentinel chickens
2 bats
28 horses
1, domestic rabbit
1 squirrel
1 chipmunk 
14 humans in New York State one of whom later died

> Does anyone find it remarkable that there are no published accounts of
> the efficacy of spraying in controlling West Nile (or even the
> mosquitoes). My argument is that it is not a case of human health 
> vs ecological health, but that human health has benefitted little, if at all, 
> from the spraying. 

http://www.floridaenvironment.com/programs/fe00605.htm
According to Jonathan Day, Professor of Entomology, Florida Medical
Entomology Laboratory, University of Florida Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences:

"In Florida, historically, mosquitoes have been a major problem in
 terms of disease transmission with Malaria, Dengue, those are two
 diseases that have been wiped out of Florida due largely to
 mosquito control programs."

Also, according to Don Barnard, Research Entomologist, Agricultural 
Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture: 

"Florida has probably got one of the best, if not the best, mosquito 
control operations, statewide,in the country." He says current pesticides
are very effective..

> Moreover, overall in NJ and NY, in the past two years more
> dead birds have succumbed from pesticide poisoning than from WNV
> according to state veterinarians.

But not poisoning from the mosquito sprays. The dosage of insecticide
applied during mosquito control spray operations is far, far too low to
sicken or kill a bird.  

Paul Cherubini

 
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