Dallas continues spraying in fight against West Nile Fever_美文

Dallas continues spraying in fight against West Nile Fever

Local citizens for the most part support the spraying efforts. “As long as there are mosquitoes with West Nile and as long as it is a health hazard, I think it is better to spray," said one man.

But there are also many critics of the spraying program, including local organic farm operator Marie Tedei, who worries about the effect on beneficial insects like bees. “Honey bees are on our farm to help my farm be more productive and we know that bees are very sensitive to this pesticide," she said.

She also thinks local officials have exaggerated the West Nile threat. “More people get influenza every year, probably in far less time than our whole summer of West Nile cases, are they going to start dropping influenza vaccine from airplanes to vaccinate the whole population?”

Judge Jenkins dismisses such complaints, saying there is no indication that the spray is harmful. “I think if there was going to be a problem to humans, pets, beneficial insects, we would have seen it by now. We haven't and neither have other cities that have done this," he said.

Jenkins and other local officials say studies have shown the chemicals being applied are safe and effective and that their top priority is protecting local citizens from a potentially deadly disease.