Aerial spraying to battle Zika virus begins in Broward County

Mosquito spraying begins

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla ā€“ The fight against the ZikaĀ virus moved north overnight to Broward County.

Helicopters took off early Monday morning from North Perry Airport.

They are working to eliminate the mosquito larvae and the mosquitoes prone to carrying the virus.

Mosquito control crews say they are using a spray with the active ingredient BTI.

This pesticide is different than Naled, the chemical currently being used in Miami-Dade County.

According to crews, BTIĀ  is found naturally in the ground, and it's used over organic farms in the Florida Keys.

The helicopter was spraying in Tamarac, Margate, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood and Hallandale Beach. These are areas where where people diagnosed with the virus live and where the Aedes aegypti mosquito are found.

There is still no active transmission of the Zika virus in Broward county, but there are more than 100 residents who have tested positive with travel related cases.

This spraying is done as a proactive measure.