The Chicago Department of Health plans to spray for the West Nile Virus on the South Side today after tests indicate several communities at risk.
The Chicago Department of Health plans to spray for the West Nile Virus on the South Side today after tests indicate several communities at risk. “From what we are seeing in our mosquito traps, it is clear that West Nile Virus is starting to surge and threaten human health in part of the far South Side,” said Dr. Terry Mason, the city’s commissioner of the Department of Health. “We are taking quick and decisive action to protect the public health.” During the summer months, the city places at least one mosquito trap in every neighborhood and examines the volume and type of mosquitoes caught, said Tim Hadac, public information officer for the Department of Health. “The most common mosquito carrying the West Nile Virus is the Northern House mosquito,” he said. “We have also been seeing more human cases of people being treated for severe mosquito bites on the far South Side, which is one reason why we are spraying there tonight.” The chemical used to fight the West Nile Virus is harmless to humans, animals and plants, Hadac added. City trucks equipped with spray guns will begin cruising several South Side neighborhoods today at 8 p.m. The affected areas are bounded by 95th Street to the north, 99th Street and Vincennes Avenue to the south, Halsted Street and Longwood Drive to the west, and further south as far as 123rd Street and west to Ashland Avenue. ______ Copyright 2008 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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