|
|
Article: Spraying can make WNV worse!(West Nile virus)
- Article from:
- Synthesis/Regeneration
- Article date:
- March 22, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 WD Press. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
It is not entirely correct to say "Spraying has no effect on West Nile Virus (WNV)." There is good reason to believe that spraying can make WNV worse in three ways:
* Spraying can cause a long-term increase in mosquito populations.
* Spraying may result in an increased prevalence of WNV in mosquitoes.
* Spraying can make it more likely that humans will develop encephalitis from WNV.
Most of us learned when we took our first biology course that insects develop resistance to pesticides within a few years. Even if a spray kills 99%, the 1% that survive will pass resistance genes to their offspring. The attempt to overcome the inevitable ...