The Suffolk County Department of Health wants Long Islanders to help prevent the spread of the West Nile and Zika viruses this summer.
The department urges residents to report dead birds and stagnant water – breeding grounds for virus-carrying mosquitoes, right away. Spokesperson Grace Kelly-McGovern wants residents to take charge.
“They can check their windows and door screens, make sure that they’re in good repair, that they don’t have holes or tears. Trim any overgrown bushes. Empty any containers that might hold stagnant water. Something as small as a bottlecap can be a source for breeding.”
West Nile was first reported in Suffolk County in 1999, and while all Zika cases on Long Island have been the result of travel to affected areas, officials are worried about its transmission to the local mosquito population.