Since 1999, West Nile Virus, an invasive disease from North Africa, has become a yearly concern for us in Western New York, as in other US states.  This potentially dangerous disease for people with fragile or compromised immune systems can be fatal.  However, monitoring this disease during middle and late summer and taking a few precautionary measures, we can keep this new disease, which will probably be with us for a long time and have periods of high and low concern, in check.  This page has most of the resources you'll need to stay abreast of this disease with list of resources we can use to prevent this disease without using pesticides--which has the potential to make a bad problem much worse by further polluting our environment with toxins.

West Nile Virus

The NYS Health Department recommends New Yorkers take the following precautions to eliminate mosquito breeding areas around the home:

•  Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots and similar water-holding containers.
•  Remove all discarded tires on your property. Used tires have become one the most common mosquito breeding grounds.
•  Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers that are kept outdoors.
•  Make sure gutters drain properly, and clean clogged gutters in the spring and fall.
•  Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.
•  Change the water in bird baths.
•  Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs.
•  Drain water from pool covers.
•  Use landscaping to eliminate stagnant water that collects on your property; clean up leaf litter and similar organic debris.
•  Make sure that all doors and windows have screens and that the screens are in good repair.
  The New York State Department of Health has comprehensive informational material about West Nile virus and how New Yorkers can help to "Fight the Bite." Those materials are posted on the Department's website at http://www.nyhealth.gov .

News in the Rochester-area on West Nile Virus

Resources online for West Nile Virus

   Other Rochester Issues:

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West Nile Virus in Monroe County

Dead Crow Report Form -  The Monroe County Health Department uses reports of dead crows as one tool to track the spread of West Nile Virus (WNV) in our community and to gauge the risk of this illness to humans. There are several options to report dead crows: During business hours (8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Mon-Fri), call (585) 274-6171 - After business hours or on the weekend (to leave a message), call (585) 234-9600 - Submit the attached online form anytime.

FAQ on West Nile Virus --from NYS Dept. Health: http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/westnile/pdf/2746.pdf

1. Monroe County has a hotline for reporting dead crows: (716) 234-9600.

2. Dead birds can be reported to the Livingston County Health Department by calling (585) 243-7280.

3. Wayne County residents that have questions or concerns should contact the health department at (315)946-5749.

4. Anyone with questions or concerns about the West Nile virus or this specific case can call the Yates County Public Health Office at (315) 536-5179.

From the NYS Dept. of Health, Fight The Bite Campaign. 

Questions and Answers About West Nile Virus - CDC Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases (DVBID) --from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Buzz Words The Newsletter of the Florida Mosquito Control Association

An official information line, featuring a periodically updated recording, will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call (585) 234-9600.--Democrat and Chronicle

Monroe County Plans Preventive Measures Against West Nile Virus PDF Link: wnv release and fact sheet 2001.pdf -- (Wednesday, May 9, 2001) News Releases by Jack Doyle Monroe County Executive

  Draft New York State West Nile Virus Response Plan April, 2001 This document is the 2001 plan that the New York State Department of health, working in conjunction with other state agencies, local health departments, new York City, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has developed to minimize the impact of West Nile Virus in New York State. --from the NYS Dept. of Health. 

  West Nile Virus -- Yahoo News.  The major online source for news on WNV.

The New York Times archives West Nile Virus free (most of their online articles are not) on this page: West Nile Virus - Health News - The New York Times.

  One way to check West Nile Virus is to monitor the mosquito activity in your area.  Go to this site, type in your zip code, and find out the mosquito activity in your area: Mosquito Activity Forecast --from the weather.com

  West Nile Virus Center - Learn about symptoms and prevention. The West Nile Center is a private organization that stands dedicated to the education, awareness, and prevention of the West Nile virus. We are a group of concerned citizens and parents who wish to provide the most updated information about the virus and to offer our assistance in helping you and your family to protect yourselves against infection of this deadly disease.  The links to various products on this site are recommendations only provided for your consideration. We believe our site provides a valuable service to our community in offering a select range of products available designed to reduce the risk of mosquito bites. Many of the products offered are natural plant-based insect repellents that do not carry the same adverse health risks associated with the use of DEET-based products and are therefore safe to use on children and pregnant women.  West Nile Center does not guarantee any products’ effectiveness in reducing mosquito bites, nor does the West Nile Center make any claims, representations, or warranties regarding such products’ ability to completely prevent the infection of West Nile encephalitis, or any other vector-borne virus, disease, or bacteria. We strongly advise you to read and follow the directions of each product carefully and to consult your physician before use if necessary. This site is not sponsored, sanctioned by or affiliated with your federal, state, or local government.

   Learn about HR 4793, the bill proposed in the house to help communities fight the West Nile Virus Congress.Org -- Issues and Legislation  -  Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act (Introduced in House)[H.R.4793.IH]

    A must read for Rochester-area.  This is a two-part article on West Nile Virus from Rachel.org:

Ontario County Public Health is still encouraging county residents to call (716) 396-4343 if they find any sick or dead birds in their area, or for more information on ways to minimize the risk of being infected. In Wayne County, call (315) 946-5759. In Yates County, call (315) 536-5160. --from Canandaigua.com

County health departments offer West Nile Virus information:-- 10NBC/WHEC TV-10 If you find a dead bird and are concerned it might have died from the West Nile Virus you can reach your county’s health department by calling the corresponding number below. Monroe - 716-274-6000 - Wayne - 315-946-5770 - Ontario - 315-789-8702 - Livingston - 716-243-7280 - Wyoming - 716-786-8894 - Genesee - 716-344-8506 - Orleans - 716-589-7064 - Steuben - 607-776-9631

Track the spread of the West Nile Virus - Total West Nile positive results to date by county.  --from the NYS Health Department. 

If you have questions about mosquitoes, West Nile virus encephalitis or use of insect repellents, contact your local health department or call the New York State Health Department's Environmental Health INFOLINE at 1-800-458-1158.

Choose your poison— pesticides or West Nile virus -- from Enn.com "According to studies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the pesticides deployed in the campaign against West Nile virus can pose a threat to animals if used in high concentrations. But health and wildlife officials as well as environmentalists are mixed over which is worse: the pesticides being sprayed to combat the disease or the virus itself."

Toward Safer Mosquito Control in New York: Environmental Advocates New York Public Interest Research Group New York Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides

West Nile Virus, Mosquitoes and Pesticides EPA Region 2 -- New:  EPA's preliminary risk assessment indicates that when Malathion is used according to label directions, analyses shows very low potential for human exposure and therefore cancer risk from Malathion is not of concern.  News release    Technical information  For information about pesticides used to control mosquitoes, including Malathion and synthetic pyrethroids like Anvil and Scourge, go to EPA’s mosquitocide web page at www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/skeeters.htm

West Nile Virus in the News (Please note: links below open in a new window.)

To help protect yourself from mosquito bites:

1. wear long sleeves and pants in a mosquito-infested area

2. use mosquito repellant containing DEET (follow label instructions carefully)

3. limit outdoor activities at dawn, dusk, and early evening, when mosquitoes are most active

4. repair holes in door and window screens

5. eliminate standing water in your yard, as mosquitoes will lay eggs there (tires, flowerpots, pet dishes, puddles, and bird baths are favorite nesting grounds)

6. keep your swimming pool aerated, and consider purchasing mosquito-eating fish for your pond

7. keep your gutters clean to prevent standing water

Resources for West Nile Virus

• Other News sources for WNV: DOHMH West Nile Virus / Mosquitoes & CDC West Nile Virus Homepage
• Journalists Guide to the West Nile Virus --by the NYS Dept. Health.
• Health Alerts  Monroe County Health Department's function is to prevent illness, protect the environment and to provide certain other health related services.
  • West Nile Virus
• West Nile Virus Nearly everyone is familiar with what has happened for the past two summers as far as West Nile Virus (WNV) is concerned. In the late summer of 1999, WNV was positively identified for the first time ever in the Western Hemisphere, in the vicinity of Whitestone, Queens. Relatively quickly, the virus was also identified in mosquitoes and dead birds taken from Westchester, Rockland, Nassau and Suffolk counties and in other parts of the city. --Citizens Campaign for the Environment. 
• National Wildlife Health Center  The National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) is a science center of the Biological Resources Division of the United States Geological Survey located in Madison, Wisconsin. The NWHC was established in 1975 as a biomedical laboratory dedicated to assessing the impact of disease on wildlife and to identifying the role of various pathogens in contributing to wildlife losses.  West Nile Virus. 
• West Nile Virus U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA, USA
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  (CDC) West Nile Virus - Get all the latest facts and alerts from the experts. 
• New York State Health Department --- West Nile Virus  Complete description, FAQ, and all information on West Nile virus. 
• West Nile Virus -- Yahoo News. An extensive catalogue of WNV news stories continually updated. 
• West Nile Virus --Yahoo Categories
• The New York City Department of Health West Nile Virus Information --New York City Department of Health
• West Nile Virus Maps 
• What's Going on with the West Nile Virus? Compiled by Dr. Lois Levitan, Environmental Risk Analysis Program (ERAP), Cornell University, Center for the Environment. Contact us at: envrisk@cornell.edu, or on the web at: http://www.cfe.cornell.edu/risk/.
• Encephalitis Global is a web-based support network for folks who wish to learn more about encephalitis - from the people it has touched. It's an internet community of more than 500 survivors, caregivers and loved ones from around the world. They offer camaraderie, information, and support to those touched by encephalitis. The website has been reviewed and approved by the Health on the Net Foundation of Switzerland.
• West Nile-like Virus  --news and links about WNV from the U.S. Geological Survey Home Page
• West Nile Virus Map interactive maps that track cases of the virus in humans, birds, and mosquitoes. From the U.S. Department of the Interior.
• Learn about West Nile Virus, West Nile, West Nile Fever, and other current West Nile Information at WestNileFever.com Our primary mission is to inform the public about the west nile virus. Hopefully, this west nile resource will allow all individuals to take proper steps and avoid this serious (and sometimes deadly) outbreak. If you know of any websites and/or have additional information that you think would be beneficial to this site, please email us ASAP. Thanks for visiting WestNileFever.com, and be sure to bookmark us so you can easily access west nile information in the future.
• NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene - DOHMH West Nile Virus / Mosquitoes NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
  West Nile Virus Information