Bucharest authorities start anti-mosquito insecticide treatments to prepare for summer

Local authorities in the Romanian capital Bucharest have recently started applying anti- mosquito treatments every evening and will continue until the beginning of October. The low toxicity insecticide is applied between 19:00 and 02:00 at night in public parks, on the street and in industrial areas, according to the municipality. A first stage in the fight against mosquitoes started on March 15, when the basements of blocks and houses, as well as the water system, were treated with insecticide. For 2013, the municipality plans to apply the anti- mosquito treatment in 22,000 block basements, as well as in 35,000 water sewage areas. Mosquitoes can transmit the West Nile virus, which causes encephalitis. The first significant outbreak in Romania was in 1996. Around 10-11 people are infected with the West Nile virus in Romania each year. The rate of encephalitis is however of only 1 in 150 infected people. Last year, an 87-year old woman died following complications after being infected with the West Nile virus. Most apartment owners in Bucharest install window nets during summer, to prevent mosquitoes entering rooms. Last year, because of the rainy period in the beginning of spring, there were more mosquitoes than normal in Bucharest, and the weather also prevented the authorities from applying the insecticide until June. editor@romania-insider.com