The not-so-deadly West Nile Virus

[Paul Cherubini]

Liz Day wrote:

> But by spraying the adults?  Or by controlling at its breeding sites?   The
> article doesn't say, and I bet it's the second one.   To me this sounds
> like a fact being used disingenuously.

Liz, here are some excerpts from the Palm Beach Florida Mosquito
Control Association website:
http://www.pcbeachmosquito.org/mosqfla.html

"At the end of WWII, DDT became available and was the material 
of choice for mosquito control. Almost all existing mosquito
control districts embarked upon a program of aerial and ground 
use of DDT for both adult and larval control. A number of new
programs were formed to take advantage of this new insecticide." 

"Beginning in 1949, the State provided funds for the purchase of
chemicals and supplies. Results with DDT were amazingly good, 
and there was widespread belief that DDT had answered Florida's 
mosquito control problems. This euphoria lasted only a few short 
years, long enough for resistance to develop to DDT and many of 
the other chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides."

"Early scientists and administrators recognized that chemical control 
alone was doomed to failure for many reasons. The legislature in 
1953 granted additional funds to encourage permanent control 
(source reduction) with a money-matching program in which the
 state would provide $75 for each $100 in a district's local budget. 
These funds were instrumental in eliminating thousands of acres of
salt marsh breeding sites and prompted the creation of many new 
mosquito control programs."

 
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