o the Editor:

Re "The West Nile Epidemic" (editorial, Aug. 25):

The West Nile virus has captured the public imagination. It causes a rash and other scary symptoms, including swollen lymph nodes, which other viruses in its class do not exhibit.

Surely the virus can be contained through public health measures that have been useful in other similar outbreaks. If public information leads to more insect repellant, longer sleeves and less stagnant water in our backyards, so much the better. But more worrisome is the attempt to treat our hysteria with spraying: how much toxic insecticide will it take to calm our fears?

Trying to kill adult mosquitoes by spreading toxic insecticide is problematic. Animals, people with asthma, and insects that would otherwise kill the mosquitoes are affected.

As with anthrax, when 30,000 people were treated with antibiotics and only 18 people were afflicted, the greater problem with West Nile is panic.  
MARC SIEGEL, M.D.
New York, Aug. 26, 2002
The writer is an assistant professor at N.Y.U. School of Medicine.