Sept. 21, 2015 By Jackie Strawbridge
Pesticide-spraying trucks will return to Astoria this evening as the Health Dept. aims to deplete the mosquito population to combat West Nile disease.
Spraying will begin at 8:30 p.m. and continue until 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.
The spraying location will be bounded by 20th Avenue and 35th Street to the north, 28th Avenue, 43rd Street and Newtown Road to the west, Broadway and Northern Boulevard to the south, and Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (278), 30th Avenue, 78th Street, Astoria Boulevard and 75th Street to the east.
The Health Dept. also sprayed this area in mid-August, one day after announcing that the first human case of West Nile virus had been discovered in a Brooklyn man.
Since then, eleven cases of West Nile Disease have been discovered citywide, with five in Queens, according to the Health Dept.
One case of less severe West Nile fever has also occurred in Queens.
A Health Dept. spokesperson said the agency could not specify where in the borough these cases were located due to privacy concerns.
While the Health Dept. said the pesticide (Anvil® 10+10) used does not pose any significant health risk, it advises residents with respiratory ailments to stay indoors while spraying occurs.
Windows should be kept closed; air conditioners may be used, but the vents should be closed to prevent possible indoor exposure to the pesticide.
Any toys, clothes and outdoor equipment should be moved inside prior to spraying; anything left outside while spraying occurs should be thoroughly washed before reuse. People exposed to the pesticide should thoroughly wash their skin with soap and water.
A rain date for tonight’s spraying is scheduled for Sept. 28 during the same hours.
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