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RI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT West Nile Virus Bulletin North Kingstown, East Greenwich, Potowomut section of Warwick Monday - September 11, 2000 - 2:00 P.M. This is an update on the state's West Nile Virus response plan. Low level ground spraying will take place in populated areas in contiguous neighborhoods within a two-mile radius of Pilgrim Drive in the Davisville section of North Kingstown, commencing at 7 p.m. this evening, Monday, September 11. In North Kingstown, this essentially includes from Smith's Castle north on Post Road and west to Route 2. It also includes Mt. View and North Briar, Chimney Rock, Shore Acres and Wickford Point. The spray area also includes sections of East Greenwich - the Hilltop Drive-In area, Meadowbrook River Farms, and the Sun Valley area - and several streets in the Potowomut section of Warwick. No spraying will occur near open water or field crops. Residents can call the following local numbers, or check the following websites, for information on spraying in their area: North Kingstown - 294-3331 ext. 210, www.Northkingstown.org East Greenwich - 886-8665, www.eastgreenwichri.com Warwick - 738-2000 ext. 651 Media contact at DEM is Stephanie Powell, 222-4700 ext. 4418, pager 482-2968. DEM will issue additional bulletins on an as needed basis to report on new information. The RI Departments of Health and Environmental Management are responding in accordance with their joint Response Protocol for Mosquito-Borne Diseases (including Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus). This Protocol also governs state-local coordination on prevention, preparedness and response. The Protocol is posted on the DEM web page (see below). More details follow below. Key phone numbers for obtaining or reporting information are as follows:
The above telephone lines are normally manned during normal business hours during the week. The DEM Mosquito Information line will be manned extended hours Tuesday through Thursday this week. In night or weekend emergency situations, HEALTH can be reached at 272-5952 and DEM can be reached at 1-401-222-3070. Information can also be found on the HEALTH and DEM websites www.health.state.ri.us and/or www.dem.state.ri.us.Status of Incident: The Department of Environmental Management Saturday evening announced the first finding of West Nile Virus in North Kingstown. The positive result came from a bluejay that was collected on Pilgrim Drive in the Davisville section of North Kingstown on September 1. The bird was tested at the University of Rhode Island's Mosquito Virus Testing Laboratory. Confirmatory test results were received by DEM at 6 p.m. Saturday evening. Status of Activities: DEM initiated its Mosquito-Borne Diseases Response Protocol, and immediately contacted the Governor, municipal officials from North Kingstown, East Greenwich and Warwick, state agencies, and area legislators. DEM met with chief municipal officials and public works officials from the three communities at 10 a.m. on Monday, where DEM handed out GIS-generated locus maps that identified streets within the two-mile ground spray radius recommended under the protocol. A media briefing was held at 11 a.m. on Monday. DEM will loan spray equipment to the communities. The equipment is equipped with sufficient amounts of the pesticide Sumithrin and safety equipment to adequately treat the response areas. Sumithrin is a pyrethroid-based adulticide effective for controlling mosquitoes. The active ingredient in Sumithrin is a man-made pesticide, similar to natural groups of pesticides called pyrethrin, which come from plants such as the common chrysanthemum. These pesticides are also used in pet shampoos, flea sprays and household insect sprays. Spraying will be at dosage levels far below human health threshholds, per EPA guidelines. Spraying is part of a comprehensive program of mosquito control and disease prevention. Spraying will be conducted in accordance with US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state protocol guidelines. Health risks associated with the use of Sumithrin in this manner are negligible. As with any pesticide, common sense measures are recommended to reduce exposure. The Department of Health recommends: Avoid direct exposure to pesticides;
In order to minimize the potential for accidental exposure, city officials have been advised to have the spray truck preceded with a warning vehicle of some sort. Anyone experiencing adverse reactions to pesticides should call their doctor or the Regional Center for Poison Control at 1-800-682-9211. Persons with asthma or other respiratory problems should stay indoors during spraying. |
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