Aerial spraying idea comes up short of a plan

Though West Nile hasn’t been topping this year’s headlines like the Zika virus, the mosquito-borne disease is still a danger to North Texans.

Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja wants to secure approval for aerial spraying in case the number of West Nile-infected Culex mosquitoes continues to rise.

Having that approval would be good for Tarrant County, but there seems to be a communication breakdown.

Some cities are waiting for the county to make a plan. Meanwhile, county commissioners want the cities’ input.

But as everyone sits by the phone and waits for the others to call, the West Nile problem continues to grow.

The county should listen to Taneja — he has a good idea.

He says ground spraying has reached its limit and something bigger may be needed to combat West Nile.

Aerial spraying does have drawbacks. Some residents have opposed the idea because of health concerns for bees, pets and people. It wouldn’t help against Zika-infected mosquitoes, and it isn’t cheap — spraying the entire county one time would cost $1 million.

Listen to Taneja: He’s the Tarrant County public health director for a reason.

This story was originally published August 17, 2016 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Aerial spraying idea comes up short of a plan."