The New York City Department of Health has begun spraying pesticides throughout the city to “combat” the spread of the West Nile Virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes.
Trucks are reportedly deploying low concentrations of Anvil 10+10 and Duet, focusing on marshy areas.
Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan emphasized the city’s active efforts in public education and mosquito control and residents were instructed to “stay inside” while the trucks sprayed the chemicals.
Four cases of the virus have been reported, with mosquito pools testing positive in all five boroughs.
Last month, Dr. Anthony Fauci was hospitalized after contracting the virus, a spokesperson confirmed.
The 83-year-old former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) was hospitalized for six days but later returned home and is expected to make a full recovery.
The West Nile virus, which entered the U.S. in 1999, is now the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The virus is primarily spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, typically from the Culex species, which contract the virus from feeding on infected birds.
