The emergence of the virus has had a major impact on nearby communities, generating widespread concern over the immediate health threat from the disease and about the health impacts of the pesticides that were used to respond to the disease. There was also a frustration that answers to the pressing questions of why the outbreak occurred and whether reemergence is likely were lacking. We know that several dozen people in New York City and its suburbs were sickened by the disease and seven people died. Connecticut did not experience any human cases of the virus; however, the disease had a visible impact on our wildlife, killing a number of crows and other birds. The virus has been found in mosquitoes and dead birds in the towns of Darien, East Haven, Fairfield, Greenwich, New Canaan, New Haven, Norwalk, Orange, Redding, Stamford, Weston, Westport and Woodbridge.
My purpose in convening today's hearing is to continue the dialogue and to provide thoughtful responses to these public concerns. Specifically, the hearing is intended to: 1) to gather information and to educate the public and the government about the West Nile virus; 2) to take a look "post-crisis" and evaluate the performance of the government in responding to the outbreak this fall; and 3) to ask whether the West Nile virus is likely to reoccur in the future and what we need to do to prepare for or to prevent another outbreak.
We're honored to have with us today a number of witnesses who were closely involved in the state and federal response to the West Nile virus. Dr. Durland Fish of the Yale University School of Environment and Public Health will provide us with some background about the disease. He will also point out some areas where more research and training is needed to better understand and react to infectious diseases such as West Nile virus. Also with us is Dr. Ted Andreadis of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, who was on the ground this fall, trapping mosquitoes and testing mosquitoes and dead birds for the presence of the virus. Dr. Andreadis will give us an overview of the Experiment Station's efforts in response to the West Nile outbreak.
Our third witness, Dr. Bob McLean, Director of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center, will describe the Center's research into the effects of the virus on bird populations. Dr. McLean previously held positions with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), so he is uniquely positioned to address cooperative efforts among experts in human health and animal health. I would like to thank Dr. McLean for traveling from Wisconsin to be with us today.
And finally, Deputy Commissioner Jane Stahl of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will describe the history of mosquito control in Connecticut and discuss the environmental impacts associated with different approaches to mosquito control.
While I realize that we are unlikely to hear definitive answers to our most pressing questions about the source of the virus and the likelihood that it will reappear in the spring, I hope that this hearing will provide an opportunity to hear what has been learned about the disease and to get an update on what steps are being taken to learn more about the source of the virus and to avoid another outbreak in the future. As the witnesses present their testimony, I will also be interested in hearing what worked well and what didn't as local, state, and federal agencies coordinated their response to the West Nile virus.
To make the most efficient use of our time here this morning, I will ask each of the witnesses to limit his or her oral testimony to five minutes. The witnesses do have an opportunity to submit comprehensive written testimony to be included in its entirety in the printed record of this hearing. The record of this hearing will remain open for one week for written statements by the witnesses and the public. Please see a member of my staff if you are interested in submitting a statement. I will personally review the submissions and see that they are included appropriately.