Nassau County Legislator Roger Corbin (D-Westbury) supports efforts by the Nassau County Department of Public Works and Health Department who are working tirelessly to conduct and control mosquito and West Nile surveillance in the county. To date, four isolations of West Nile Virus from mosquito pools have been found in Bethpage, Woodmere, Glen Cove, and Old Westbury. The West Nile Virus was also reported by the New York State Department of Health recently in a Common Grackle bird in Plainview.

The Nassau County Public Works Department is helping by offering the following services:

• Monitoring and treating with larvicide, when appropriate, 650 recharge basins (sumps), 200 miles of fresh water streams, 70,000 street basins and 50 ponds;

• Checking suspected breeding sites by "dipping," the scooping of water from potential breeding areas to see if larvae are present;

• Maintaining the "ditches" on the county's South Shore which allows killifish (or other predatory fish) to reach and consume mosquito eggs, larvae and pupae; and

• Working with the U.S. Division of Fish & Wildlife, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Ducks Unlimited, and the Town of Oyster Bay to enhance wildlife (predatory birds and fish) in the JFK Sanctuary, located at Jones Beach.

The Nassau County Health Department is assisting by performing the following services:

• Trapping adult mosquitoes on at least 40 sites to identify their species, areas of infestation, to estimate their population, the presence of disease, and effectiveness of control efforts;

• Recording dead bird reports, collecting and testing a few selected specimens within 24 hours of their death to see if they are carrying the West Nile Virus (a mosquito may bite a bird that carries West Nile Virus and then spread the virus by biting a human); and

• When mosquitoes are trapped by Environmental Health personnel, the Health Department Lab identifies the species and sends them to the NYS Department of Health for viral testing. All cases of suspect or confirmed encephalitis, including West Nile Virus, are closely followed by the Disease Control staff. These cases, human or animal, are thoroughly investigated to determine the source of the infection.

Residents can also be proactive. The West Nile Virus is carried by the common house mosquito which lives and breeds in our own backyards whenever water accumulates and stands for more than four days. Old tires, tin cans, rain gutters, pool covers, children's toys, plant pots, boats, birdbaths, and any other object that collects rainwater can become mosquito breeding sites. Weeds, tall grass, and shrubbery provide a home for adult mosquitoes to rest.

Corbin said it's important for residents to protect themselves and their loved ones by following the recommended guidelines:

• Remove or empty standing water from any object that can hold water;

• Keep swimming pools chlorinated and their covers free of stagnant water;

• Clean and unclog rain gutters to keep them draining properly;

• Change the water in bird baths every two or three days; and

• Avoid using bug zappers since they also kill beneficial insects.

It's recommended that residents keep the following phone numbers on-hand:

• To discuss a mosquito problem, stagnant water or drainage problem, call Nassau County Department of Public Works Mosquito Control Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 572-1166;

• To report a dead bird, call the hotline Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 1-866-537-2473;

• Call Nassau County Health Department Mosquito Surveillance at 572-1211, Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.