West Nile Virus Season—and Spraying—Has Arrived in NYC

This article was written by Megan Riesz.

“West Nile virus is a serious disease,” said Dr. Waheed Bajwa, executive director of the DOH Office of Vector Surveillance and Control. “It can kill. So the message for the public is the best methods are preventive, and to avoid mosquito bites.”

Here are some safety precautions to take this summer in order to help you, and the city, combat the potentially deadly disease.

• Despite your inclination to shed any and all layers during summertime, wear protective clothing especially during dawn and dusk, when mosquitos come out to play. This means pants and long-sleeved shirts. Avoid clothes that expose your arms and legs.
• Use insect repellant with DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. The Department of Health (DOH) has listed these ingredients as the most effective in reducing mosquito exposure. Likewise, it doesn’t hurt to wear repellant inside – bugs can get in your home by way of open doors and windows.
• Avoid bushy areas, shaded areas where mosquitos like to rest, especially at dawn and dusk. They may not be as easily noticeable amidst your backyard trees, for example, but they’ll bite you all the same.
• Remind your neighbors to take similar precautions. Doing so only helps reduce the chances that West Nile will spread among households in close proximity.

To help prevent mosquitoes from breeding around your home, the DOH suggests the following.

• Eliminate any standing water that collects on your property.
• Remind or help neighbors to eliminate mosquito breeding sites on their properties.
• Repair or replace all screens in your home that have tears or holes.