By Phil Corso
Parts of northeast Queens will be getting a spraying this week as the city steps up its fight against West Nile virus.
Between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., helicopters will be spraying larvicide for three days starting Tuesday and ending Thursday over non-residential marshlands throughout the city, including Bayside, Little Neck, Douglaston, Linden Hill, College Point, Edgemere and Somerville, the Department of Health said.
The city also scheduled a spraying nearby at Pelham Bay Park North in the Bronx and neighborhoods in Staten Island.
The Department of Health said helicopters will be dropping the larvicide to kill mosquito early on in the larvae phase before they can spread and potentially infect others with the virus.
West Nile Virus killed 41 people throughout the city in 2012, the Health Department said. The virus can be transmitted through mosquito bites, with the most vulnerable victims including the elderly and those with weakened immuned systems, the department said.
The full spraying schedule can be found at nyc.gov/html/doh/html/environmental/wnv-spray.shtml.
Reach reporter Phil Corso by e-mail at pcorso@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4573.
