City Spraying Pesticide In West End After Mosquitoes Test Positive For West Nile
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- With the news that samples of mosquitoes from Pittsburgh's West End tested positive for West Nile Virus, local health officials have taken action.
The Allegheny County Health Department is spraying pesticides in that area of the city tonight between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
So far there have been no human cases of West Nile in the county this year, and with the spraying of pesticides, officials hope to reduce the risk of that happening.
Dr. Karen Hacker, the executive director of the Health Department, says they'll be spraying in the neighborhoods of Sheraden and Windgap, and also along Middletown Road and Chartiers Avenue.
"We've had two pools of mosquitoes that have tested positive in the West End, and so that really gives us an indication that we want to reduce the risk," said Dr. Hacker. "It is a fairly new mosquito spray that kills mosquitoes but is extremely low risk and is basically considered safe for both people and pets."
The pesticide is non-toxic to people, pets and aquatic life, but it does kill adult mosquitoes.
The pesticide will be sprayed from a truck.
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