With the summer season fast approaching and with families spending more time outdoors in the coming months, Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder is encouraging the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to step up efforts to combat West Nile Virus, the deadly mosquito-borne illness that has claimed multiple lives in recent years. The request comes amid recent efforts by the Assemblyman to combat abandoned properties plaguing Sandy-damaged communities that serve as ideal grounds for mosquito breeding.

“Families in southern Queens and Rockaway are at increased risk from the dangers of West Nile virus,” said Assemblyman Goldfeder. “The higher rate of abandoned properties and construction projects throughout the community following Sandy has only increased our potential for mosquito breeding. That’s why I’m calling on the city take action and protect the health and well-being of our families as we head into summer.”

In a letter DOHMH Commissioner Mary Travis Bassett, Goldfeder urged the agency to increase mosquito spraying in southern Queens and Rockaway and use all measures at their disposal to monitor mosquito breeding in the community and alert families to any potential danger. The Assemblyman also encouraged the commissioner to work with the Department of Environmental Protection to locate and clean out clogged catch basins that could facilitate mosquito breeding, and to collaborate with the Sanitation Department in enforcing lot cleanings.

Areas prone to mosquito breeding include standing water, road construction sites, clogged sewers and catch basins and obstructed waterways. Goldfeder explained in his letter that the potential for mosquito breeding was particularly alarming on private residential and commercial properties left abandoned following Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Last year, in response to numerous complaints from constituents, Goldfeder put forward a three-point plan to combat so-called “zombie homes” and has since worked closely with city agencies to step up code enforcement and encourage mosquito spraying and rodent bating at the blighted properties.

“The NYC Health Department has failed our communities adjacent to Jamaica Bay for years, ever since they stopped the policy of neighborhood programic fogging/spraying of adulticide, which truly gave residents much needed relief. It’s time the city takes proactive steps to combat mosquito breeding and West Nile in the area, instead of just reacting to the problem,” said Jonathan Gaska, District Manager of Community Board 14.

“The best way to prevent West Nile virus is to protect yourself from mosquito bites. Homeowners are asked to do their part throughout the mosquito season by eliminating any standing water. Who then, is responsible for the homes that have been left abandoned and untouched since Superstorm Sandy? This is an important issue that needs to be addressed by the city,” said Roger Gendron, President of the New Hamilton Beach Civic Association.

According to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, West Nile is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause inflammation of the brain, brain lining or spinal cord. Symptoms can be especially severe for children persons aged 60 and over and can lead to paralysis, permanent neurological damage or even death. The city agency reports that 247 human cases of West Nile, including 35 deaths, have occurred among New York City residents from 1999-2013.

Last summer, four people and two hundred mosquito pools in Queens tested positive for West Nile, with West Nile activity reported numerous times last summer in zip code 11414, comprising Howard Beach, Hamilton Beach and Lindenwood. Zip codes 11691 and 11692 on the Rockaway Peninsula also reported cases during this time.

“The first ever reported case of West Nile in the United States was right here in Queens. By being proactive and stepping up our efforts, we can work towards the day when the borough is free from this terrible disease,” concluded Goldfeder.

(YWN Desk – NYC)