Onondaga County conducted aerial spraying over the Cicero Swamp Wednesday, in an attempt to cut into a mosquito population that is carrying an expanding number of viruses in central New York.
Aerial spraying of the Cicero Swamp this time of year is a sight nearby residents have become accustomed to. It’s meant to tamp down the number of mosquitos that carry Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus that have been found in traps in the swamp.
“And we should say that when we spray, the goal is to knock down as many infected mosquitoes as we can,” said Onondaga County Health Commissioner Dr. Katie Anderson. “It does not eliminate all of the infected mosquitoes, but it's an attempt to reduce the risk.”
Anderson said while it does reduce the risk, it does not eliminate the chance of being bitten by an infected mosquito.
“We should probably just be careful all the time, as we head into the summer months in terms of making sure we don't have standing water around our houses, trying to avoid mosquito bites, and being cautious regardless of whether or not we're finding EEE that week in the traps,” she said.
Something new found in mosquito traps this year, mosquitos infected with the Jamestown Canyon virus and the Flanders virus. Neither of these are as dangerous as EEE or West Nile, but Anderson said they could be a sign of the impact of climate change, as it makes the area more hospitable for mosquitos.
“I think it's something that we need to have in our minds as we think about climate change and the impact in Onondaga County because across the globe, that's one of the major concerns with climate change is what it might mean for these vector-borne diseases," Anderson said.
Mosquitos with these viruses are being found in other areas of the region as well. The Oswego County Health Department said a horse died of West Nile Virus. In St. Lawrence County, a horse died last month after being bitten by a mosquito infected with EEE.
