Pesticides and the West Nile Virus

“Killer sand, WMD Insect Spray, and other Idiocy,” by American Council on Science and Health.
Last year we at ACSH were instrumental in getting the village of Ocean Beach, located on Long Island, to overturn its decades-old chemophobic policy of refusing to participate in the mosquito control program that was routinely used in most of Long Island, as well as wide areas of New York City. We were prompted to do so after ACSH friend Jim Capuono—a six year survivor of colon cancer—nearly died from West Nile encephalitis, which he contracted from mosquitoes while vacationing in Ocean Beach in August, 2012.  ACSH’s Dr. Josh Bloom, also a resident of Ocean Beach researched the hazards of Anvil—the insecticide that is routinely used for this purpose, and found that it was actually less toxic than DEET, which people had to slather themselves in just to go outside. Read more.