BROOKLYN — Residents are being warned to stay indoors Wednesday night so the city can douse parts of Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island with insecticide to fight the spread of West Nile virus, officials announced.
The anti-mosquito spraying, which is scheduled to happen between 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and 6 a.m. Thursday, will cover Central Park, Prospect Park, and other areas where the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has seen "rising West Nile virus activity" and "high mosquito populations", according to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
In Brooklyn, the spraying will include parts of Park Slope, Crown Heights, Kensington, Sunset Park, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Prospect Heights, Prospect Park South, Windsor Terrace and Greenwood Heights.
In Mahattan, Harlem, East Harlem, the Upper West Side, Lincoln Square, Manhattan Valley and Morningside Heights will be affected.
In Staten Island, it will cover Arden Heights, Rossville, Charleston, Fresh Kills, Greenridge, Hugenot, Pleasant Plains, Port Mobil, Princes Bay, Sandy Ground and Woodrow.
Click here to see a complete list and maps of the neighborhoods that will be sprayed.
The city has seen one confimed case of West Nile virus this year, DOH officials said. A Brooklyn man in his 60s contracted the virus in August and was hospitalized and discharged.
The virus can sometimes be fatal, and 318 New Yorkers have been diagnosed with the disease since it was first discovered in the United States in 1999, according to the DOH.
On Wednesday night, the city will use trucks to spray a "very low concentration" of the synthetic pesticide Anvil 10+10, the agency said.
"When properly used, this product poses no signficant risks to human health," the DOH said in an announcement about the spraying.
However, the DOH warned residents to say indoors, close vents on air conditioners, and move kids' toys inside during the spraying.
The anti-mosquito campaign coincides with the first day of school, but a Health Dept. spokeswoman noted that the spraying will happen at night, not during the day when children will be out and about.
At least one Upper West Side mom questioned the timing of the spraying.
“I was surprised that it was happening on the first day of school,” said Natalya Murakhver, the mother of a 17-month-old and a 5-year-old. “I have a kindergartner starting school on Wednesday. We’re going to be out first thing Thursday morning and in theory, they’ll have just finished spraying."
