Mosquito Control District Sprays Davis Without Timely Warning To Residents

URGENT NEWS ADVISORY
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Contact: Julie Partansky, Stop West Nile Spraying Now 530 753-3936


EMERGENCY ALERT: Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector
Control District is spraying portions of Davis with the pesticide
Suspend SC without timely warning to residents in the areas.

Davis, Ca. – "Stop West Nile Spraying Now" (SWNSN) has received
confirmation from the website of the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector
Control District (SYMVCD) that the District has sprayed – without timely
advance warning – various areas in Davis, including Arroyo Park, West Area
Drainage, and the cemetery.

"Did the people using the pool at Arroyo Park have warning? The SYMVCD
could not possibly take the precautions recommended, including the advice
to ‘Remain indoors during applications in your immediate area.' Nor could
people know to bring pets indoors or cover sensitive areas," said Julie
Partanksy of SWNSN

The group will hold a news briefing shortly before the Davis City Council
meeting (23 Russell Blvd) tonight/Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. when David Brown,
district manager for SYMVCD will make a presention on the latest spraying.

According to "Stop West Nile Spraying Now":

"There is no epidemic of West Nile Virus in humans in any place in the
Sacramento and Yolo County area at this time. SYMVCD speaks of an
epidemic, but their epidemic is measured by the number of infected
mosquitoes they trap per 1000 and not in terms of human infections. SYMVCD
is using this ‘mosquito epidemic,' real or not, to justify spraying poisons
in our City.

"West Nile disease is a rare one even in peak infection years, and less
than 1% of the few who do become infected with the virus experience serious
symptoms. There are known risks to humans from the pesticides being
sprayed, and people with asthma and immune-compromised systems are
especially at risk.

"Adulticide spraying to prevent West Nile disease is of questionable
effectiveness, and the District has supplied no evidence that it reduces
the transmission of WNV to humans. Without such evidence, there is no
reason to spray adulticides, no matter what the various triggers say
(number of infected mosquitoes, infections in sentinel chickens, etc.).