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Risk Assessment Evaluation Axia College University of Phoenix Genericville is currently faced with a decision that is being addressed by countless communities each year. How do we balance the problem of mosquitoes and their borne illnesses like the West Nile Virus with the potential health and environmental problems caused by the use of a pesticide like Malathion? In order to assist the community in making such an important decision, a risk assessment is in order to examine the potential impacts from the application of Malathion versus doing nothing. Our community has an economically diverse population of about 100,000 people who depend on summer tourism. There is a river that runs through the center of town and wetlands that protect the city from flooding in the spring. These wetlands along with the river provide a clean habitat for several species of birds and fish. They are also just one element of what makes our city such a popular vacation destination spot for many summer travelers. Unfortunately, however, the same wetlands that house the birds and fish serve as a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes that spread the West Nile Virus disease. According to a study in 2006, it was reported that in the United States alone, there were 4,269 cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) with 177 fatalities (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007). Of these cases, 1459 (34%) were reported as severe, 2616 (61%) were reported as milder, and 194 (5%) were unspecified. These projections along with experience, testing of infected birds, and an enlarged mosquito breeding area due to heavy rainfall suggested that in the city of Genericville, about fifty people will be infected and two people will di ...