'Complication' Over Disneyland Airspace Forces OC To Cancel Pesticide Spraying
SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — Orange County officials have scrapped a plan to spray pesticides over multiple cities in order to combat what authorities say is a growing threat of West Nile virus.
A message posted Thursday to the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District (OCMVCD) website said a "complication" arose over securing permission to fly over restricted airspace around Disneyland in Anaheim.
According to the statement, the county's contractor was "unable to secure the permission in time to conduct a full operation."
Officials later released the following statement on Twitter: "No aerial applications have been conducted or will be conducted for the remainder of the 2015 mosquito season."
OCMVCD spokesman Jared Dever told KNX 1070's Ron Kilgore the decision was made because the process could take several more days and by the time affected residents would be notified of the new schedule, it would be too late.
"It would really diminish the goal that we have of reducing mosquito populations during the peak West Nile virus transmission period during the first two weeks of September," said Dever.
Instead, the district is expected to step up ground efforts to let people know to take proper precautions and get rid
of any standing pools of water.
Spraying was expected to be conducted over the cities of Orange, Tustin, Villa Park and portions of Anaheim, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Santa Ana and Stanton, according to the OCVCD.
Officials said the aerial spraying of the pesticide Duet will not require residents to stay indoors or cover outdoor pet food or water. There is also no requirement to stay indoors or cover outdoor pet food or water. There is also no requirement to cover cars or wash down outdoor play equipment.
Vector control officials said Tustin, Orange, Anaheim and Santa Ana have had the most West Nile virus activity in mosquitoes and dead birds this year. The virus can be transmitted to humans through infected mosquitoes.
As of Aug. 27, there have been five human cases of the virus from the cities of Anaheim, Orange, Garden Grove, Newport Beach and Tustin.
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