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See where the Nashville Metro Public Health Department sprayed pesticides in 2005 (click on date to see the map of the area sprayed):
July 26, 2005 in Bellevue
August 2, 2005 North East Nashville near Lischey
August 3, 2005 in Madision
August 16, 2005 in Bellevue
September 13, 2005 in Donelson (with ORANGE AIR QUALITY ALERTS for two days before and one after! They have sprayed on at least 4 nights with Air Quality Alerts since 2003.)
October 4, 2005 in the Belmont area
October 5, 2005 in the Inglewood area
We had one positive mosquito pool found in Bellevue. There were no positive birds and no counties in Middle Tennessee had human cases of West Nile Virus. So, why would the Metro Public Health Department spray when they could have controlled mosquitoes less toxically?
Why hasn't our "Health" Department shown anyone the benefit and risk ratio (that have been requested repeatedly by citizens and council people--even a Health Board member asked to know!) to prove that the benefits of spraying out weigh the risks? The answer is because they don't want anyone to know that benefits do not out weigh the risks!
WHY ONE POSITIVE MOSQUITO POOL ISN'T CAUSE TO PANIC
1. Dr.
Laurence Zwiebel of Vanderbilt University and the former entomologist for the
state, Ms. Kristy Gottfried agree that positive mosquito pools do not provide
enough information to begin spraying. Ms. Gottfried said, "If I get a positive
mosquito pool test, I say, 'So what?' That tells me I should be testing more to
find out what is going on." Dr. Zwiebel states, testing is imprescise and false
positives can and do occur.
2. There is only one study, that we are aware of,
that was conducted to determine if human WNV cases are reduced by spraying. It
was done in 2003 by the CDC in Fort Collins CO. The study showed that spraying
did not reduce the human WNV incidence. The city of Fort Collins decided in 2004
to fund larvicide only as a result of this study. They also established emergency
criteria with the CDC. They chose to fund larvicide only again in 2005 after
experiencing 17 human cases of WNV in 2004!
3. Spraying DOES temporarily reduce
mosquito numbers. Studies show 7-10 days later mosquitoes return to original
levels or worse. In addition to the risks to humans, spraying can also cause resistant moquitoes as well as kill
beneficial insects. Before spraying occurs, the benefits and risks MUST be weighed! Finding and eliminating breeding grounds is the most effective method of mosquito control. This is why hiring summer helpers or Backyard Inspection Days are important steps toward enhancing Nashville's mosquito control program!
4. In 2004, the Health Department didn't spray 3
of the sites that had positive mosquitoes for WNV. We had no reports of human
WNV. In 2003, they didn't spray 2 of the 18 sites and they didn't spray a number
of sites until WEEKS after the tests came in. One might say, by NOT spraying in
those areas the Health Department helped prove our point that the chance for
human WNV was extremely low. Nashville had no new human cases even though the
Health Departments protocol was questionable when it came to spraying.
5. If spraying was so essential for public health, why didn't the Health
Department spray where the diseased mosquitoes were in 2004 instead of other
places? They have been asked since January 2005 to explain the discrepancies.
They have not been able to do this as of December 2005. Had this been a real
emergency, their choices could have led to an increase in illness and death from
WNV. This is why we are calling for detailed scientific protocol in a written
plan for Nashville.
6. There are no studies, that we are aware of, that show that spraying reduces
human WNV cases.
7. Could the 'cure' (spray) sometimes be worse than the problem (diseased
mosquitoes)? Piperoyl
Butoxide is a known mutagen (it changes DNA) and it is an ingredient in the
spray the Health Department uses. There is no 'safe' dose of a mutagen. If we are
using a product like this (and there may be times we would want too!), we
need to weigh the risks and the benefits. Given the fact that Nashville has
historically had a VERY low incidence of WNV (1 in 2002, 1 in 2003 and none in
2004), should we be spraying a known mutagen in our neighborhoods? This is even a
more compelling question when we know that other cities have reduced standing
water and larvicided and had no higher rates of human WNV?
8. The CDC states that source reduction is the MOST EFFECTIVE form of mosquito
control. So, please, go into your yard and look around for standing water.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MOSQUITO REDUCTION AND PROTECTION SEE "Non-toxic, effective ways to get mosquitoes to quit
bothering you!" Please refer to "SPRAYING
EMERGENCIES" to learn about what symptoms have been associated with Anvil
2+2 and what to do if you have problems with the spray. You can also download the
label and the Material Data Safety sheet in the left column of this page. Please
report ANY problems to us. We need your help to document the problems since the
Health Department has denied the spray can cause problems. We requested full
disclosure of the problems people reported in 2003 & 2004. They denied problems
and failed to disclose reports from 2003. We suggest you at least read the
links below numbered 1-3 so you will have the critical information you need to
decide what risks you are willing to take.
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Email:
nospraynashville@earthlink.net
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BURNT/No Spray Nashville, P.O. Box 128555,
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