The legal context of mosquito control for West Nile Virus in New York City.

When New York City became the first area in the United States to experience an outbreak of West Nile Virus, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene assumed responsibility for responding to the threat. That department's actions in spraying and taking other actions to control the mosquitoes that spread the disease to humans encountered significant opposition from various environmental groups. Moreover, complying with existing law that governed mosquito control activities became a challenge. This article provides an overview of the department's experience in responding to the threat posed by West Nile Virus. That experience reinforces the importance of a public health organization's collaborating with public health lawyers to produce a better public health outcome.