Seven more crows have been found to be infected with the West Nile Virus (WNV) in the Massapequas, out of a total of 15 new infected birds discovered in Nassau County, county officials announced this week.

The news came after the New York State Health Department confirmed evidence of the virus in the crows. In addition to the seven infected birds from the Massapequas, the new batch included one each from the communities of Bellmore, Merrick, New Hyde Park, Muttontown, Centre Island, Syosset, Manorhaven Park, and Oceanside. Of the seven infected birds found in the Massapequas, six were in Massapequa and one was in Massapequa Park.

The report of more infected birds, which brings this summer's total in the county to 35, also follows ground spraying of pesticides in Massapequa and Farmingdale, after mosquitoes were found to be infected with the virus near the Sunrise Mall and in Bethpage State Park.

The county's decision to spray the pesticide Scourge by truck last Thursday, in residential neighborhoods, sparked protests outside county administrative offices in Mineola by some local residents, who expressed concern about the possible threat to human health posed by the product.

Throughout this summer, the county's policy has been to use mosquito control measures, including larvaciding, rather than pesticide spraying - until the discovery of infected mosquitoes. Officials said the spraying was necessary because infected mosquitoes present a risk of spread of the disease to humans.

"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," County Executive Thomas Gulotta said in announcing plans for the spraying last week. "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."

Local environmentalists, who had commended Gulotta on previous decisions not to spray, responded with disappointment to last week's ground spraying of Scourge. Massapequa resident Neal Lewis, head of the Massapequa-based Long Island Neighborhood Network, urged the county to improve its mosquito breeding control measures, rather than spray potentially harmful pesticides.

"It's troubling that products like this are being used. And it comes down to a balancing of concerns, as far as them using it at night, and taking other measures to try to limit the likelihood that people will be exposed," said Lewis.

"The spraying actually kills a very small percentage of the insects. They're very good at hiding. The bottom line is that spraying does present potential health effects. We don't really know what they are, and won't know for many years," he added.

"So it's a risk, and it's a question of minimizing those risks. Prevention methods that eliminate where they're breeding controls mosquitoes much more effectively than spraying."

He noted that the Neighborhood Network wants the state to re-work its formula for reimbursing the county for mosquito management. Currently, he said the county receives a higher percentage of funding for emergency spraying than for long-term preventative mosquito control methods. Preventative measures that should be employed, he said, include routinely cleaning out catch basins and removing standing water from parks to prevent breeding.

Following the report of more infected birds, the county had not scheduled ground spraying. "In recognition that birds can fly long distances and as part of our strategic mosquito control program, mosquito traps are located where all of the dead birds have been found to determine whether infected mosquitoes are in the area," stated Gulotta. "That element is particularly important since the mosquito is the carrier of the disease. If infected mosquitoes are found in the area, a value judgment will be made to determine if limited spraying is required."