New Orleans mosquito control plane buzzes neighborhoods

That low-flying plane buzzing the rooftops of New Orleans' neighborhoods late at night is not a drone or a UFO. It's a Britten-Norman Islander, otherwise known as the city's mosquito control aircraft.

Starting in June the city's Mosquito, Termite and Rodent Control Board began to deploy its fleet of 10 trucks and its lone airplane, typically between the hours of 8:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., in an effort to battle the swarms of blood-hungry bugs that come with the hot summer months.

The main goal is to reduce the threat of the West Nile virus typically carried by the southern house mosquito, said Sarah Michaels, an entomologist with the control board.

The first case of West Nile virus was detected July 8 in Livingston Parish but as of yet there haven't been any in New Orleans, according to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.

That's a huge improvement compared to 2012, when the state reported 365 cases of the virus that resulted in 15 deaths, the worst outbreak in a decade.

"About one in five people who are infected will develop a fever with other symptoms," according to the Center for Disease Control. "Less than 1 percent of infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, neurologic illness."

Unlike some parishes, New Orleans doesn't spray for mosquitoes on a set schedule, Michaels said. It responds to complaints through the city's non-emergency 311 hotline and by checking mosquito traps to determine areas of increased activity.

The plane, which was out of commission after Hurricane Katrina, was put back into use in recent years. It can cover a larger area than the trucks and reach the tree canopies, where the southern house mosquito often feeds on birds that can transmit the West Nile virus, Michaels said.

The plane generally flies above 200 feet and will make several passes over a single area but only treats each area a single time, Michaels said.

Other parishes that use mosquito control aircraft include Jefferson, St. Bernard and Plaquemines.

The mosquito control vehicles are typically sent out after dusk when the southern house mosquito is most active, Michaels said. They spray a chemical called Dibrom, otherwise known as Naled, that Michaels said is not considered harmful to human or animals when released over large areas for mosquito control; but if higher-concentrated amounts are ingested it can cause nausea, headaches and blurred vision, among other symptoms, according to various studies.

The city's mosquito control efforts can extend into November depending on the weather.

Source Article:  http://www.nola.com