Pittsfield Board of Health to Regularly Discuss Mosquito ControlBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:31AM / Friday, October 06, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After the City Council said 'No' to mosquito spraying, the Board of Health will discuss the city's mosquito plan on a monthly basis.
On Wednesday, the panel mapped out its path forward after unsuccessfully recommending that the city resume mosquito spraying, which was discontinued in 2021.
This summer, six mosquitos tested positive for West Nile virus but there were no reported human cases.
Director of Public Health Andy Cambi said it is a good idea to keep mosquito control in the BOH's monthly agenda and to bring in experts in the field to have a community discussion on the topic in the spring.
Dr. Jeffrey Leppo felt that a lot of the things that were said during the council meeting were anecdotal.
"I think we have to try to draw them into a continuous communication for them to understand how serious we've looked at this," he said.
Chair Bobbie Orsi said it is a good idea to work with the Conservation Commission to get education on things like stagnant water, which is a driver of mosquitos.
"It would be nice to have a good plan of communication for when the council and the leadership switches over however that looks like," she said.
Cambi added that new council members should be invited to forums as a part of the dialogue so that questions and concerns can be addressed.
In August, the council narrowly shot down a request to repeal the 2021 decision that discontinued the adulticide spraying portion of the Berkshire County Mosquito Control Project in a 5 to 6 vote.
Earlier that month, the board agreed to urge the council to bring back spraying due to the presence of West Nile virus in mosquito samples.
BCMCP uses a truck spray applicator with a 300-foot range for the application. The mosquito-killing pesticide is said to have a minimal impact on humans and wildlife, which some councilors rebutted.
Leppo pointed out that there were hundreds of WNV mosquitos in the state and three human cases, adding that "people don't realize that's a dangerous thing."
"Once we have a human case it'll be too late to worry about what we've been trying to prevent because that can be lethal," he said.
Cambi's understanding is if the city decides to opt out of the mosquito project, it would be the board's responsibility to address mosquito control and request additional resources for its budget.
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