You Told Us is a regular feature highlighting comments from users in the communities DNAinfo covers.
UPPER WEST SIDE — After the Health Department announced it was spraying the neighborhood and other parts of the city with insecticide last week to fight the spread of West Nile virus, residents took to social media to warn their neighbors to stay indoors and to protest the spraying.
As of Wednesday, only 10 cases of West Nile virus have been reported citywide, according to the Health Department's site. However, a department spokesman told DNAinfo that it has not ruled out spraying again if conditions change.
Forty-seven of the city's 713 mosquito pools found to carry West Nile virus were located in Manhattan, the department reported.
Locals were angry that the spraying last Wednesday night happened on the same day as the start of the school year:
► "Coinciding with the first day of school . What is in this " no significant health risks" when introduced to growing kids ? Why wasn't this done 3 weeks ago before the coming rains ? Sounds fishy ." wrote one commenter on Neighborhood Square.
► "By the way parents-don't go to the parks tomorrow, they will be freshly sprayed w/toxic pesticides! #BacktoSchoolNYC http://t.co/ECEvApLszU" tweeted @mfromthesfbay.
Some residents questioned the timing of the spraying:
► "Doing this now? Why in the fall when the weather is getting cooler and the mosquitoes aren't as active? What happened all summer?" wrote another commenter on Neighborhood Square.
Others protested the health risks they linked with pesticides:
► "I don't think risk posed by West Nile outweighs risks assoc w/ spraying a pesticide aerially over huge areas of NYC http://t.co/5jWENhoVM4" tweeted @Douglas_Main.
► "'When properly used, this product poses no significant risks to human health.' 1. When properly used. 2. No 'significant risks' to human health. 3. Mosquito spraying in September?'" wrote a Neighborhood Square commenter.
People also voiced concern over the effects on local ecology:
► "Pesticide spraying in Prospect Park/Central Park tonight: This does not just kill mosquitoes: also dragonflies, butterflies, bees, birds..." tweeted @cathrynbe.
