Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Plague and pestilence

30 June 2001

First it was floods, now it’s mosquitoes. In Harris County, Texas, 3.5
million people are cooped up indoors to avoid swarms of floodwater mosquitoes.
The infestation began last week after tropical storm Allison flooded the city of
Houston and surrounding areas. The county’s Mosquito Control Division is
spraying insecticide on the worst-affected areas and says its priority is
monitoring the insects for the virus that causes St Louis encephalitis. “Over
100 mosquitoes land on the front of your pants in one minute,” says Pam Stark of
the control division. “It’s difficult to breathe.”

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