The State Health Department this week confirmed the first evidence this summer of mosquitoes infected with the West Nile Virus (WNV) within the county, in Massapequa and Farmingdale, and as of press time Wednesday, Nassau County officials had planned to conduct pesticide spraying by truck in residential neighborhoods.

The infected mosquitoes were found in two batches of the insects that were tested Aug. 16 and 20, in an area just north of Sunrise Mall and in Bethpage State Park. Spraying of Scourge, a pesticide commonly used by the county for killing mosquitoes, had been scheduled in neighborhoods surrounding those sites for Thursday, Aug. 31 at 11 p.m. until 3 a.m. Friday, Sept. 1.

On Thursday, Aug. 24 it was announced that the New York State Department of Health has confirmed evidence of West Nile Virus in a crow found in Levittown, bringing the total number of infected birds confirmed by the state to 18.

"I want to assure the residents that first of all, we have had no reported cases of the West Nile Virus having infected any human being in Nassau County," County Executive Thomas Gulotta said Tuesday, during a Mineola press conference announcing the plans for spraying. "In light of the findings of infected mosquito pools, the county is following appropriate New York State Health Department protocol and will conduct limited ground spraying near these two mosquito trap locations."

Ground spraying will take place in the following areas: In Massapequa/Massapequa Park - all streets between Southern State Parkway and the Long Island Rail Road tracks next to Sunrise Highway, between the Massapequa Preserve and County Line Road; In Bethpage/Farmingdale - all of Bethpage State Park, from Bethpage State Park down to Hempstead Turnpike and Conklin Street, and between Bethpage State Parkway and the Nassau-Suffolk border.

County Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Gaffney said the pesticide Scourge has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its minimal effect on humans and pets, but encouraged residents to minimize exposure during spraying. "This chemical may have a slight irritant effect to people with asthma," she warned, adding that during spraying hours residents should bring pets and children's toys in, stay indoors, and shut all windows, doors, fans and air conditioners.

Gregory Terrillion, Mosquito Control Supervisor for the Nassau County Department of Public Works, noted that Thursday night was chosen for spraying because the expected warm weather would bring out a large number of mosquitoes.

Unlike other counties throughout New York State that are combating the threat of West Nile Virus, Nassau had not conducted spraying in residential areas this summer - until now. Gulotta noted that the decision to spray followed 23 weeks of larviciding (controlling the growth of young mosquitoes) and monitoring of mosquitoes, and came only after the infected insects were found. Although some local environmentalists have criticized his decision to spray pesticides, because of possible human health risks, he defended the decision, saying it is based on state health department protocol.

"In these instances, where we have located mosquito pools that are infected with the virus, we are going to institute, based on the protocol, the limited spraying," Gulotta said. "But I do want to assure the residents of the county that the deliberative approach that we've taken to spraying is the right approach, and it has proven to be effective."

Until now, only infected birds had been found in Nassau County this summer - 18 in total. Because several of the birds were found in the Massapequa/Farmingdale area, close to Suffolk County, where infected mosquitoes had previously been found this summer, officials had believed them to be a symptom that the disease was in the area. "The birds, as you know, really are a symptom of the fact that the disease might be in the area, by virtue of the fact that they might have been bitten by a mosquito carrying this disease," Gulotta said. "However, birds can fly fair distances, so it doesn't mean that where the dead bird is found necessarily that the disease is located there. Which is why we then go to the backup of doing testing for mosquitoes, and to date, until this announcement, there had been no positive testing for mosquitoes in those mosquito pools."

Gaffney noted that this location was at high risk for infected mosquitoes because the virus has been spreading in concentric circles. "We basically were expecting that this is where it was," she said. "And sadly, we were right."

In addition to spraying residential neighborhoods, as of press time the county had planned to conduct its routine weekly larviciding of Altosid by helicopter for the control of nuisance mosquitoes in the south shore marshes on Aug. 31 from 7 a.m. to noon in the salt marshes on Jones Beach, beginning at West End 2 and moving eastward to include the JFK Sanctuary at Tobay Beach. Testing of mosquitoes and birds throughout the county will also continue and ensuing decisions on spraying will be based on the results, according to county officials.

The officials urged residents to continue prevention measures at home by wearing long sleeved shirts and long pants when working or playing outside, using mosquito repellent and eliminating any stagnant water - which serve as mosquito breeding sites - that may gather around the home.

Residents can call the county's West Nile Virus Information Hotline at (516) 571-2500 for the most up-to-date WNV information, or visit the county web site at http://www.co.nassau.ny.us. Residents can call (516) 571-8707 to report a dead bird or mosquito problem.