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Cities across US make rare move to spray chemicals through streets in response to onslaught of deadly mosquito-borne infections
Cities America are spraying chemicals through their streets in response to a rise in several deadly mosquito-borne illnesses, in an unprecedented move.
Massachusetts, New York, Texas and California are among the states deploying pesticides to repel the increasingly disease-ridden insects.
The decision comes on the heels of an onslaught of mosquito-borne illnesses throughout the US, including West Nile Virus, which hospitalized White House Covid doctor Anthony Fauci this month, 'Triple E', a brain-swelling disease that has killed two Americans so far this year, and 'sloth fever', a disease transmitted from sloths to mosquitos.
Officials are spraying the streets at night when people are less likely to be outside to reduce residents' exposure to the chemicals, which can be harmful to breathe in or ingest. The doses will also be 'ultra-low volume'.
Other areas have taken equally drastic measures, including imposing curfews to limit people's exposure to mosquito bites.
Public health departments will be spraying pesticides near these four cities to combat the spread of deadly mosquito-borne illnesses.
A number of Americans have died from mosquito-borne illnesses this year, including a New Hampshire man who died from EEE earlier this month. It was the state's first human case in 10 years.
In Massachusetts, towns in southern Worcester County and Plymouth County have taken an aggressive approach to fighting mosquito-borne illness this month after an 80 year old man from Worcester County caught EEE - the state's first human case since 2020.
EEE is a rare but serious virus that spreads to humans via infected mosquito bites. It causes swelling in the brain, and roughly 30 percent of infected people do not survive.
To curb the spread of this virus, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health will spray the pesticide Anvil 10+10 from trucks and planes overnight, starting shortly after dusk and ending in the early morning.
In addition to pesticide spraying, officials in Oxford, MA instated a voluntary curfew urging residents to stay inside after 6p.m. to avoid mosquito bites.
And in Plymouth, MA, officials have ordered parks to close from dusk until dawn when mosquitos are most active.
Meanwhile, New York City, Arlington, and San Jose will be battling a different disease: West Nile Virus. WNV is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental US.
In most cases, the virus causes no symptoms or mild flu-like symptoms. But roughly one in 150 cases turn severe and life-threatening, causing swelling of the brain, the membranes surrounding the brain or the spinal cord.
Cities will use trucks and planes to spray the mosquito-killing pesticides in areas with high disease risk.
In New York City, there have been six severe cases of West Nile Virus this year. None of them were fatal, but the city has moved to spray pesticides in parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn to reduce the risk.
The city's Department of Health is using trucks to spray the pesticides Anvil 10+10, Duet or MERUS 3 overnight.
Texas has reported 37 cases West Nile Virus in 2024 - more than any other US state. One of these cases was fatal.
Recently, three mosquitos in the city of Arlington tested positive for the virus, prompting city officials to schedule overnight pesticide spraying in select locations.
In select areas throughout Arlington, contractors will spray a pesticide called Aqua-Reslin, which kills adult mosquitos.
In Santa Clara County, California, a resident died of West Nile Virus earlier this month, and another was hospitalized. West-Nile-positive mosquitos have also been detected in San Jose and the surrounding area.
The pesticides used for this treatment are Zenivex E4 and Merus 3.0 - both of which are highly effective mosquito-control treatments.
Rising global temperatures are driving the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses in the US.
All four of these cities will spray pesticides at 'ultra-low volume,' which means they will not pose significant health risks to residents and no one will have to relocate during the treatment.
Officials have also schedule spraying at night when people are less likely to be outside to reduce residents' exposure to these chemicals.
Some data suggests that the risk of mosquito-borne illness is rising in the US as rising global temps allow infected mosquitos to expand their range.
Cases of Dengue Fever, for example, increased over 800 percent in the US between 2021 and 2022, according to Vector Disease Control International.
In most cases, mosquito-borne illnesses are not fatal. But they can make an infected person very sick.
As cases of mosquito-borne illnesses rise in the US, cities may have to spray pesticides more frequently.
But there are things you can do to protect yourself from mosquito bites and reduce your risk of disease.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends wearing loose-fitting clothes that cover your skin, applying insect repellant, and putting screens on windows and doors to prevent them from getting inside.