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Subscribe to RSSWith nearly 700 reported cases of West Nile virus nationwide, health officials say this is the worst season for West Nile in eight years, and ground zero for infections is Texas. NBC's Janet Shamlian reports.
Texas state health officials, alarmed by the worst outbreak of West Nile virus since the infection first hit the United States in 1999, started spraying insecticide from airplanes Thursday night.
Years of research show the poisons being used in the spray are safe for humans — and certainly safer than the virus, health officials said. But blogs and social media lit up with concerned comments from people afraid the insecticide might hurt them, their children or other creatures in the environment.
“This is not science. It is ignorance, fueled by chemical corporations seizing the opportunity to poison everyone,” Judith Winchester, a Dallas-area designer, posted on the North Texas Poison Center 's Facebook page.
The poison center and state health officials, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency, say the spray being used is about as safe as an insecticide can be. Called Duet, it’s made up of two products, both synthetic versions of a chemical made by chrysanthemum flowers.
AP Photo/courtesy the Northwestern Mosquito Abatement District
Culex pipiens, left, is the primary mosquito that can transmit West Nile virus to humans, birds and other animals. The bite of this mosquito is very gentle and usually unnoticed by people. At right is an Aedes vexans. It is a very aggressive biting mosquito but not an important transmitter of disease.
“Risks with aerial spraying are very, very low, especially compared with the risk of disease,” said Carrie Williams, a spokeswoman for the Texas State Department of Health Services. “We believe it is a safe and very effective approach for Dallas.”
Insecticides first got a bad name back in the 1960s, when it became clear that DDT was killing birds by thinning their eggshells. Then it turned out it was a likely cause of human cancer, too, and it was banned in the U.S. in 1972. And because so many insecticides are nerve agents, they have worried doctors, environmentalists and the public. There’s one class of pesticides called organophosphates that do appear to damage the nervous systems of people who get exposed to high amounts — farm workers, for example.
But the pyrethrins in Duet — that’s their chemical name – are formulated differently and work through a different mechanism. They kill mosquitos in very low doses. And they don’t affect mammals, humans included, in the same way they affect insects.
According to the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC), a joint venture between Oregon State University and the EPA, pyrethrins work by blocking the nerve activity of insects and they kill adult mosquitos by direct contact. But they’re not as dangerous to bigger creatures, even birds.
“Pyrethrins are one of the least poisonous insecticides to mammals," the center says on its website. They break down quickly into inactive forms in the body and don’t build up in the soil. They do, however, kill honeybees and can poison fish and other aquatic life. That’s one reason that Texas is spraying at night – to minimize the effects on bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects.
They are used in pet flea and tick preparations and in lice control shampoo for humans. The EPA says they don’t cause cancer and don’t hurt pregnant women or their unborn babies.
Compare this to West Nile, which has made 30,000 Americans sick since it arrived in the New York City borough of Queens in 1999. “The 693 cases reported thus far in 2012 is the highest number of West Nile virus disease cases reported to CDC through the second week in August since West Nile virus was first detected in the United States in 1999,” the CDC says.
“Over 80 percent of the cases have been reported from six states (Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and California) and almost half of all cases have been reported from Texas.”
West Nile itself isn’t especially deadly — only about 20 percent of infected people even know they have something, other than perhaps a mild cold. And most who develop symptoms get what’s called West Nile fever, which has the typical symptoms of many viruses — fever, headache, tiredness and, sometimes, a rash.
But 1 percent of cases get severe disease, usually meningitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord, or encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain. These are usually older people are patients with suppressed immune systems. These symptoms can kill quickly or leave people with nerve damage such as paralyzed limbs.
There is no human vaccine for West Nile — there’s one for horses — and no real treatment. People with severe infections get supportive care such as IV fluids to make sure they don’t die of dehydration and breathing support if the nerve damage affects their ability to breathe.
The other chemical used as a defense against West Nile is DEET, an ingredient in the most effective insect repellents. It seems to stop mosquitoes from smelling their human victims. The NPIC says it’s very safe for people. “Nearly all of the DEET that is taken in through the skin is eliminated by the body within 24 hours of applying it,” the center’s website says. It also does not cause cancer and has been used safely by pregnant women.
Williams says the state health department is trying to address fears. “People have kids, they have pets,and we completely understand that people may be feeling apprehensive about this,” she says. “We have relied on the science to help us make the decision.”
And the department says spraying is only part of the answer to the problem. People need to cover up, use insecticide and,most of all, control standing water to stop mosquitoes from breeding. Even a small amount of water in a potted plant can provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Related links:
- Texas sprayed as West Nile virus spreads
- Tenth West Nile death confirmed in Dallas
- West Nile virus on the rise
Leave a Comment:
I'd rather take my chances with West Nile than that crap.
i got west nile was not fun . sick for one week. had the very mild form. I live 20 miles north of dallas.
When you get your wish write in again and tell us how you are enjoying the disease.
There is a risk/benefit of everything in life often compared to driving or walking to work each day. The risk of pyrethrins used in the spray they are using is not zero but pretty low and relatively safe so that the benefits of controlling the vectors of this disease is pretty high. So your comment about "crap" is not very helpful for this serious problem.......what would you do, nothing and then complain when your family members get the disease?
If you catch it, can you get it again or do you develop a resistance? If you get a resistance, go ahead and get it while you are healthy! I do not want to catch it in my 90's... granted there will be several more "new" waves of things to catch by then so it probably doesn't really matter. I would rather take my chances with the mosquito's than large scale pesticides though. Honey bees are having a hard enough time as is.
Every time man comes up with a solution ,the problems domino . Sure let's spray pesticides all over the state ,it doesn't harm humans ......BS ! if it will kills an insect it will kill a human . These double talking SOB's in our GOV't will tell you anything , if it suits their purposes . What they don't tell you is it kills every fish it comes in contact with ,or it drives the honey bee's crazy or just like every drug on the market ,these TURDS don't know if it will or it won't . So sick of these lying stealing TURDS that we are forced to vote for !
I never heard of slapping an insect result in killing a human!
You have favorite words and/or a very weak vocabulary. Does typing that make you feel strong and masculine?
DUET Label.
Sample. "Do not contaminate food, feed or drinking water. Do not spray this product on or allow it to drift on pastureland,rangeland, cropland, poultry ranges, or potable water supplies. In treatment of corrals, feed lots, swine lots and zoos,cover any exposed drinking water, drinking water fountains and animal feed before application.Wear long sleeved shirt and long pants, socks and shoes"
http://www.plymouthmosquito.com/Duet%20Label.pdf
I'll Pass.
they have this world so screwed up there is going to be a turning point where we all will see just how stupid the human race really is and there will be no turning back , i think we reached that point long ago
From http://www.flcv.com/PestAI.html
From http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11811933
When they say it doesn't cause harm, what they should say it doesn't cause any immediate, noticeable effects. And I don't buy that it's harmless to pregnant women and the babies they're carrying.
It is thought that once you have West Nile, you are unlikely to get it again. However, it has also been shown that the immunity wanes over time (meaning if you live long enough, you could, indeed, catch West Nile again) and immunity wanes if you become immune compromised for any reason (cancer, pregnancy, old age, other chronic illnesses, etc., etc.).
Our county has been spraying for west nile for a few years now. We live in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. They spray at night so the thinking is that the spray shouldn't affect honey bees because supposedly our bees do not collect at night.
They are absolutely WRONG! I have video taped the ground littered with dead honey bees, yellow jackets, bumble bees and various other flying insects the the next day after a spray on several occasions.
There was a large scale blood sampling of the humans of cuyahoga county a few years ago, I can't remember the numbers but many people were already immune to the disease because they had contracted west nile and didn't even know they had it.
I don't have the answers but everyone needs to realize you and your children are breathing in the pesticides, playing in it on the grass, and eventually it gets washed down stream into your drinking water.
Really? So now a newspaper is a deadly weapon?
Fool!
U R A MORON
I agree completely. This is non sense. Glad I don't live in Texas. You can say what you want about California but I'm glad we have way left libs here on that issue. No way those libs would let pesticides just be sprayed all over the state.
There are a lot of us glad you live in California with the way left liberals. Want some more? You can have them all. You can have ALL of the newly legal illegal immigrants too. The rest of us do not want them. And if the West Nile should spread to California in force please DON'T spray. BTW how would you like an unemployed President Of The United States Of America. There will be one of those looking for a place to live soon as well, say around Jan 1, 2013. May be sooner.
Why are you so blatantly awful, willfully ignorant, and detached from reality:?
Have a nice day, anyhow.
Boy, GOD sure is walloping Texas as of late.
droughts, fires, west nile carrying mosquitos...it's almost as if GOD once declared in the bible that rich people can forget about going to heaven, and well, Texas has been thumping it's chest since Obama took office about how rich and awesome they are...(god dislikes pride too, by the way).
perhaps, he's just trying to send a message...
we'll wait for Pat Robertson to weigh in, i'm sure he'll blame that lesbian couple that was shot or something...maybe the gays in Austin??
yeah, im sure thats it.
MDSJ, sorry but the libs (Dallas County Judge) is the one that declared a state of emergency and ordered the spraying. Also this is about 1 county, Dallas County which are run by Libs.
This spraying must stop right away. That is socialist intervention by the government. Let those people buck up and take care of themselves
Jessica, the mayor of Houston is gay and Houston has much less of a West Nile problem than the Dallas area, at least at this point. Make of that what you will.
West Nile virus is in California and we do aerial spraying for it. For the spraying schedule go to sjmosquito.org and as for the comment about the unemployed president, I wouldn't bet on it. I'll be voting for Obama rather than the rich boy.
@BobW-3215303 - Who hurt you? So angry......
Actually dip wad...your Gov MoonBeam sprayed Malathion all over LA because of the Med Fruit fly back in the "70s after not doing it and getting a major infestation that was threatening to wipe out 50% of the citrus/abocavo crops.....
Lucky you!
How in the world is the mayor being gay relevant to any of this? lol
The last time I was in CA, there was a big ring of pollution covering LA.
Dallas is totally polluted and the gas and oil companies discharge their poisons into the water...... it is funny to hear their concerns over bug spray.
MDSJ: They sprayed California for the fruit fly infestation. Unlike Idaho, I don't think you are a dip-wad (name calling is unnecessary) but a lot of Californians do seem to have a holier-than-thou attitude.
I grew up in a place where malathion was sprayed from trucks every summer evening. No big deal.
OMG! Malathion makes me SO sick!
No, No, No to spraying this stuff!
I retired three years ago. For most of my 35 years of public employment, I was involved with the local health department's mosquito control program. I once had 91+ pure malathion spilled all over me. Now, I'm happily retired, healthy, with no obvious ill effects. There is a reason these insecticides have a "caution" label. Check out your household bleach container, it and many other household chemicals are far more dangerous.
Yeah, I grew up in Wichita and the city sprayed about 3 times a summer every year for years. We just sealed up the house and stayed inside on our spraying scheduled nights. I'm perfectly healthy...except for this little tic I get every time I'm around a liberal Democrat.
Slightly off topic: avoid mosquitoes by wearing neutral colors. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors, especially blue, and to high contrasts of light and dark. Good luck to the good people of the great state of Texas.
Source: Backpacker Magazine
http://www.control-mosquitoes.com/#mf11
I've read somewhere that if you cut sugar from your diet mosquitos are less likely to target you. I cut sugar from my diet and guess what every time I went outside this year I had no mosquito bites. One day I was out in the woods and I still didn't get any bites despite the fact that a friend of mine (who hasn't quit sugar) was being eaten up with them. I ate some sugary things (soda, little debbies, ice-cream) for about a week and next thing I know I'm mosquito bitten.
By sugar I mean the white refined sugar. I also stay away from white flour and white rice. (as both are more processed and stripped of their nutrients)
My experience has been the same as yours, Jennifer. I was always a mosquito magnet even though I never really ate a lot of sweets. But now I've cut out all sugar and grains and almost zero bites (and the few I do get itch for about 5 minutes then subside).
Well, I must be a bit odd - I've never really eaten sugar or processed grains (even as a kid). I have always got bit by mosquitoes - and when I get bit, they swell to huge sizes (like big enough that I have trouble putting clothes on over the area because it's so swollen). The swelling occurs so fast and without scratching. My son is the same way.
Sounds like a major allergic reaction. You could have underlying inflammation from something else in your diet or environment so your skin is primed to overreact. Or you could just be really allergic to mosquito spit. I used to get a whelpy bite like that if I encountered a new species of mosquito, but my 'everyday' mosquitos didn't do me that way (is the area hot to touch, mine used to get hot). I don't know if that will continue now or not, situation hasn't arisen yet.
Enough, lol, yeah it is a pretty serious allergy - one of many that I have. I am one of those people with food allergies, drug allergies, contact allergies, seasonal allergies, and mosquitoes aren't the only insect I react to (bee and wasp stings, for example). The bad thing is - if there are mosquitoes out, I will be bit, unless I spray myself with a ton of Deep Woods Off with a high level of DEET (I haven't found anything else that I'm not also allergic to that will prevent mosquitoes from biting me). My youngest son is the same way also. I wish we weren't so sensitive.
Duet is instantly broken down by any moisture - rain, dew, early a.m. 90+% humidity - its very safe. Here in the deep south its an evening fixture of our lives whenever the mosquito count goes up. And we are very happy to see the fog truck coming!
Agreed. I live west of Interstate 5, but what would a Californian know about mosquitoes; after all, we don't have any! Just follow the local directives, stay inside, and let the spray do it's job.
isnt the stretch from texas to louisianna called cancer alley?
Cancer Alley is the stretch along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
how absurd is a good name
Some people are able to make a political statement about anything. For those of you who don't wish to eradicate the poor little mosquitoes, maybe they will reward you by bringing malaria as well. There has been much debate about what and how to spray for mosquitoes and no remedy is totally safe. However, for those who "would rather take their chances with west nile virus than 'that crap", have a nice funeral.
No, spraying a chemical that affects the nervous system of all animals is NOT safe.
This is caveman ignorance.
Let's use science, people.
Yes, let us use science. Let's use a nerve toxin that vertebrates can easily break down and insects cannot. Guess what, that is what is being used!
d
Yes, who needs bees? We don't require them at all for food. And who needs fish and aquatic life?
Not us. We're super beings!
Given issues in the past when it relates to the use of any chemical sprays in/on communities I would worry. Towns like Times Beach didn't fare so well when they began spraying chemicals on the dirt roads to control dust in the 70s, the result was an environmental disaster where the town had to be abandoned from the contamination. Same goes for the routine of spraying DEET based sprays in the 60s in towns where they were told its safe and they sprayed on top of people and kids as they played outside as no one knew the real dangers. Just because they say its safe, does not make it so as someone has money to make off this.
Who knows we may end up making super bugs in the future, we have done so with drug resistant viruses lets not be so quick to move onto insects as well.
DEET is an insect repellant. Based on its long history and extensive use, it is one of the safest chemicals around. In Times Beach they used unpurified waste oil. Comparing such a material with insecticides is like comparing Mississippi River water with bottled water.
Of course it's safe. All of public health actions and policies are safe. The "benefits outweigh the risks"
That is the mantra of death.
Got news for you, children. Living is dangerous. No body ever got out of this world alive.
People could drink DDT - the inventor did - with no harm. Tens of millions of people have been slaughtered in Africa because liberal imbeciles banned DDT. Heck, wind turbines have killed more eagles than DDT did in the US already! It is time to spray liberals like you would treat cockroaches.
DDT and other organo-chlorine insecticides have grievous flaws. Insects also rapidly became resistant to them. The organo-phosphorous insecticides (malathion, chlorpyrifos) were a great improvement. The pyrethroids are much safer, but insects also can and have (bedbugs for example) evolve resistance to the pyrethroids.
Jamie, I don't know if you ever read up on the sad legacy of DDT exposure and cancer. I had 2 friends who died from an extremely aggressive form of breast cancer directly related to DDT. DDT was found to be fat soluble and able to exist in the body for years. Yes short term DDT seemed a miracle and safe to use. It was only after almost 30 years of use it's long term deadly effects began to be apparent and written about in the late 1960's
you need help... seek counseling
Actually there is anecdotal evidence that the group fighting the hardest to ban DDT was all of the chemical companies that were competing with the product. In the time it was used there was no resistance buildup by insects and it made the other insecticides obsolete.
Jamie -
Do everyone a favor: read more, talk less.
Capitalism killed DDT really. Resistance made it fall out of favor...
Question: What does it do to Bee's and other insects that pollinate?
Bees do not fly at night. The effect on bees is minimal.
With the honey bee population already in steep decline, the term minimal may be hard to quantify. Just saying.
I've kept bees. The steep decline is from invasive mites and diseases.
Dale,
Don't confuse them with actual facts.
Where I live they have been spraying at night for over 20 years. But the last few years I've noticed less and less bees and butterflies. But we have a ton of wasps like I've never seen before. I also read a book on how bee colonies are collapsing in almost epidemic proportions.
It would be nice to hear from people with less rancor, anger and suspicion. Too many people have learned to throw accusation, spin and falsehoods just like our so called political leaders and parties do so cavalierly. Yes pesticides have to be used with great care. Agriculture has sprayed pesticides in 100's of times the concentrations compared to what is employed to control mosquitoes. Mosquito pesticides have a history of more than 75 years right here in the U.S. with an amazing track record. Florida and California both use the mosquito pesticides with effectiveness and great safety. Texas likely already has another 500-1000 people already infected and going to be a case. Spraying now will protect another 1000 people or so from becoming infected in September. This is a very bad situation and unfortunately even the actions now are a little late.
In Lander , WY they are force spraying by air and trucks once a week for 2 months now.Malathion with other ingredients we are not allowed to know what they are. The public was outraged by this as we have no say in it. There is NO West Nile in WY . Not one case. No deaths. But now all our gardens that are organic are polluted with this horror concoction and we have no rights whatsoever. There is your Republican Government in action. We are at the mercy of this Red state and no one can do anything about it. I go into toxic shock from pesticides. I have to stay in my home with doors and windows shut in high 90 degrees. The woman who owns and runs the weed and pest spray company is also head of our city council. How is that for Republican corruption. By the way there have been NO BEES here for several years because of the spraying. This year No Butterflies either. And if they can spray us with this, what else can they spray us with ?
Properly done, fogging (spraying) to kill mosquitoes will not effect diurnal insects such as bees and butterflies. However, during my 30+ years associated with mosquito control, I became aware of a number of serious errors in the application of insecticides. One of my own staff once failed to properly dilute an insecticide (Lethane). I cannot comment on whether in Lander, WY the spraying is being done appropriately. However, mosquitoes fly and are most vulnerable at dusk and at dawn. If they are spraying during the day, they are wasting insecticide and possibly killing bees and butterflies.
Spraying it at night still kills bees,and the pesticide does in fact get into water sources. But thanks for your pesticide commercial.
Mike, There are LD50 calculations for bees which are not directly exposed to any given insecticide. You don't know what you are talking about. The pyrethroid insecticides break down within hours in contact with water. Malathion has a half life of about 36 hours. I used to keep bees and I was also the manager of a local mosquito program for most of my 30+ years in public health. Spraying/fogging at night does not kill honeybees. It cannot kill them because they are: 1. Much more massive than a mosquito. 2. Typically inside their hive and not exposed to the insecticide. 3. Not flying or active, because they are diurnal.
Guess what else gets into water sources, all the crap that half wits put out.
hell yeah its safe, just like when they told us that agent orange was safe. i remember they told us that it was a 'herbicide' and would have no effect on us guys.
when the authorities tell us its 'safe' our eyes roll back and we just mumble 'its safe'
Let's not forget the deadly legacy of DDT. Thought to be the miracle solution for malaria in the late 1930's through the 1960's. If you are too young to remember or just want to read up on it. Here's a link to some info. How many died from cancer caused by DDT that turned out to be fat soluble and stored in fat cells for years. It is a sad legacy and spraying for West Nile sounds like we are doomed to go down the same path
Sorry I guess I am too "new" for the link to post. Just search on History of DDT.
If DDT hadn't been railroaded we could use it. Scientists and researchers today looking at the case against DDT say that there is little real evidence. It was all guesses and speculation. And because of that millions of people have needlessly died from malaria worldwide.
http://www.jpands.org/vol9no3/edwards.pdf
Look up DDT and developmental toxicity. It was banned for a reason.l
Widespread Spraying of Mosquito Pesticides Called Into Question,
Health Advocates Say More Effective and Protective Methods Are Available
(Washington, DC,
August 27, 2012) Given the number of Wile Nile virus (WNv) cases, including 26 deaths,
it is important to focus attention on mosquito management methods that are the
most effective and do not introduce additional short- and long-term public
health hazards with the use of toxic pesticides, public health advocates say.
It is understandable that local, state, and federal officials want to act
decisively, but that does not mean that the widespread use of hazardous
pesticides is the best course of action, according to Beyond Pesticides, a
national information and advocacy organization on pesticides and alternatives
based in Washington, DC. According to Beyond Pesticides’ executive director,
Jay Feldman, “Communities that are most successful and smart about mosquito
control engage in aggressive efforts to reduce and eliminate mosquito breeding
areas in standing water around homes and buildings and throughout the
community.” Mosquito breeding can take place in stagnant water, from very small
to larger pools –bottle caps, discarded automobile tires, planters, containers,
rain gutters, drains, or under piles of leaves.
The widespread
spraying of toxic pesticides (typically chemicals known as synthetic pyrethroids,
organophosphates, or other nervous system poisons) does not provide a long-term
sustainable solution to mosquito control. “It has been shown that spraying
pesticides that target adult mosquitoes is the least effective strategy, as
well as the most risky response, since the pesticides used are linked to
numerous adverse health effects, including respiratory inflammation, headaches,
nausea, cancer, endocrine disruption, and other serious chronic diseases,” said
Nichelle Harriott, staff scientist at Beyond Pesticides.
According to
experts, the threat of WNv is best managed through an integrated program that
does not expose vulnerable populations to pesticides, including children,
pregnant women, the elderly and people with compromised immune or nervous systems.
The most effective program to protect the public from WNv focuses on removing
breeding areas, stopping mosquitoes at the larval stage, and mass public
education on prevention and precaution.
Beyond Pesticides
advises communities to adopt a preventive, health-based mosquito management
plan and has several resource publications on the issue, including the Public
Health Mosquito Management Strategy: For Decision Makers and Communities, found
online at www.beyondpesticides.org/mosquito.
What
people can do:
Clean
up – ensure waterways are clear of debris; eliminate pooled or stagnant
waters from debris, containers, drains, and pools.
Natural
Predators – Use indigenous fish populations, like bluegills or minnows,
to eat mosquito larvae in shallow waters and ornamental pools. Copepod
crustaceans can also be used to eat mosquito larvae in ditches, pools and other
areas of stagnant water.
Least-toxic Pesticide Options
Use Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis
(Bt), a biological larvicide that prevents mosquitoes from
developing into breeding, biting adults, in standing waters that cannot be
drained.
Behavior
Modification -wear long sleeves and long pants/skirts, and use
least-toxic mosquito repellent when outdoors. Avoid being outside at dusk when
mosquitoes are most active.
Jay, I usually don't agree with people from Beyond Pesticides. However, you make some good points. A good mosquito control program targets neighborhoods that have high levels of vector mosquitoes. As such, neighborhoods that proactively clean up and keep their mosquito levels low, should not be fogged to kill mosquitoes which are not present. The worst thing that any mosquito control program can do is fog/spray empty air. It is a complete waste of money and effort.
I am a retired public health official. I organized the response to WNV in 2002 in central Ohio. Columbus had only 6 people hospitalized from WNV that year whereas Cleveland had over 200. In 2002, we stopped fogging/spraying in September because we had no target populations of Culex left. Amazingly Chicago started fogging/spraying the day after we stopped and Cuyahoga County continued into October! Effective mosquito control means using insecticide early and in a targeted manner. It does not mean using more insecticide.
Feldman, you forgot one.
Restrict the cargo from the source- AFRICA. Or, at least spray and fumigate anything from the region.
Jay,
These are all excellent precautions to take to minimize nuisance mosquitos and should be used by everyone. However, the prospect of WNV infecting children and the elderly, who are most susceptible to a fatal case, justifies the use of stringer means for limited periods of time.
Thanks for a rational statement.
Never mind how scary West Nile is, what the %$# is that fleshy bit of skin the mosquito is landing on in the photo at the top?
I know! There is a strange tuft of hair at the bottom...
It's the "meaty" side of some man's open palm. Or at least I hope it's a man!
What about what this stuff is doing to the bees and other beneficial insects? There is a lot you can do to avoid being bitten but drastic measures like this always have consequences that science discovers later. Aren't we tired of the environment being treated like a guinea pig yet? Last night there were under 250 cases of West Nile in all of Dallas County. These drastic measures seem out of proportion with the problem. I don't recall them ever freaking out and giving everyone flu shots.
Mosquitoes fly from dusk to dawn. That is when fogging/spraying should occur. Bees fly during the day. Fogging/spraying will not significantly kill bees or butterflies as long as it is done appropriately from dusk to dawn.
but what no one seems to be aware of is that pyrethrins have been associated with the development of autism. what kind of autism rates are we going to see in Dallas in another 3-4 years from now? these drugs are neurotoxins. they are specifically designed to kill eukaryotic cells, the same as the cells in our (human) bodies. why would anyone think this is OK? and some people are 1000 times more sensitive to these things than others, based on metabolic factors like the speed and availability of detoxification enzymes. glutathione transferase mutations are associated with chemical sensitivity; all the MCS people in Dallas may take a big hit from this. the fact that some have no effects from exposure does not mean it is safe for others.
again, this is medication without informed consent. just like adding the medication fluoride to our drinking water. this is America and we expect to be given choices. this is really not acceptable.
Wrong.
NOT wrong
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13905-insecticides-in-pet-shampoo-may-trigger-autism.html
Stiil wrong and ignorant.
Mother Nature is way ahead of us on this one - it's called drought! Of course we could help it along with a little DDT in some chosen locations! [:-)]
DDT was a wonder when it was first used. However, it and the other organo-chlorine insecticides have very serious problems. They were widely replaced by the much better organo-phosphate insecticides by the mid-sixties. The organo-phosphates (malathion, chlorpyrifos) were so good that they made bedbugs all but disappear. The last interior use registrations for organo-phosphates expired in 2000. Within just a couple of years, bedbugs had evolved widespread resistance to the pyrethroids.
Actually, the Culex mosquitoes which vector WNV like hot dry conditions. A drought is perfect for them.
As a child in the 1960s in the suburbs of NYC I used to run through the fog emitted by trucks that were driving around the neighborhoods killing mosquitoes. I lived in the Caribbean for nearly two decades where mosquito planes sprayed bug killer.
I don't have four eyes and ten ears so so far so good.
These poisons affect the development of young people the most. They are being linked to ADD, autism, and other disorders.
Mike, you are wrong. Kids who ran through the fog of trucks in the 60s became adults in the 70s. The huge increase in ADD, autism, etc. has occurred in the last 20 years. Again, I state, Mike, you are wrong.
I would say more likely, they became adults in the 1980's...and then had children in the 80's-2000's. When the increase has happened. Perhaps the chemicals are, like many others, affecting the reproductive cells, which then in turn affect the children born from those cells.
WRONG AGAIN Dale - the autism epidemic KICKED OFF in the 70's, thank you very much...
http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?32372-Autism-and-vaccines
Still wrong, stick to the discussion. No autism has ever been shown to be caused by mosquito spray. Most is due to genetic factors or birth problems.
Let's stop this EPA junk and consider the alternative to getting bit by an infected mosquito. One, you either get sick or die. Several people have suffered this fate here in Colorado. EPA won't allow spraying. Two, a lot of our beautiful forests are tinder for forest fires because EPA interferred with the spraying against the pine beetles. Now they're spreading to six neighboring states. Where will all of this interference from government end? Do many more have to die?
Spraying carbaryl from the air is a great way to destroy forests and watersheds. That's why they don't do it. I don't think you realize how dangerous that chemical is.
This stuff isn't candy, regardless of what you may hear from people who have financial interests in the continued, insane application of neuro-impacting poisons into the air.
The appropriate use of pesticides is not a problem. The EPA does not stop reasonable use of insecticides to help prevent WNV. As a retired health official, I know this to be true. Part of the problem as to forest devastation by an imported pest is that clear cut forestry has resulted in uniform populations of genetically similar trees. A mixed forest is more resistant to an imported pest such as the pine beetle.
Mike, ????Carbaryl! Carbaryl is not a herbicide. It is an insecticide. However, I am not aware of any use for carbaryl for mosquito control. Carbaryl was used for pine beetles, but the story is about mosquito control. Let us at least stick to the subject.