Mosquito. Credit: Wikipedia

The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) is planning to spray for mosquitos in various neighborhoods across the city tonight, including parts of Edgewater, as part of the department’s ongoing efforts to fight West Nile Virus.  According to a map provided by the CDPH (below), the area west of Ashland from Devon to Foster will be sprayed.  The spraying will begin at dusk tonight (Thursday, August 29, 2013) and continue through the night until approximately 1:00am, with mosquito abatement technicians in trucks dispensing an ultra-low-volume spray. City employees are hanging notices on resident’s doors informing them of the spraying.

“When West Nile Virus poses a threat to Chicagoans, it is our job to act swiftly to eliminate the threat and keep our residents healthy,” said CDPH Commissioner Bechara Choucair, M.D.

The CDPH uses a material called  Zenivex, which is approved for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is used to control mosquitoes in outdoor residential and recreational areas.  According to the CDPH Zenivex has been used effectively to control disease-carrying mosquitoes and is non-persistent, decomposing rapidly in the environment, which  makes it an excellent choice for control of West Nile Virus-carrying mosquitoes.  While the spray is not harmful to people or pets and is routinely sprayed in residential areas across the nation, residents of targeted neighborhoods may choose to stay indoors and close their windows while spraying is underway, as an extra precaution.

“Spraying is a safe and effective way to control disease carrying mosquitoes. By reducing the number of mosquitoes in high-risk areas we expect that this will help minimize the number of human cases of West Nile Virus in Chicago,” said CDPH Environmental Health Medical Director Cort Lohff, M.D.

Spray zone. Credit: CDPH