From CGTN June 19, 2020 As the coronavirus continues leaving a trail of devastation behind globally, another deadly virus is rearing its ugly head in South Asia – dengue fever. …
Author: Sarah Spencer
Orange County officials warn of rising mosquito count
From FOX 11 June 18, 2020 SANTA ANA, Calif. – A perfect storm of events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have boosted the mosquito population in Orange County, vector control officials said Wednesday.…
Press Release: Residents Need to Protect Themselves from Mosquitoes as They Head Outside Amidst Relaxing of Stay-at-Home Orders
National Mosquito Awareness Week educates residents about the importance of eliminating mosquitoes and preventing the spread of mosquito-borne diseases SACRAMENTO, June 17, 2020 – As the weather heats up and…
Mistaken identity? Some Texans think mostly-harmless cicada killer wasps are Asian giant hornets
From KXAN June 17, 2020 AUSTIN (KXAN) — Mostly-harmless Cicada killer wasps that emerge in Texas every summer are being confused for so-called Asian “murder hornets” that have caused panic…
O.C. sees rise in mosquito activity as neighboring counties report positive West Nile Virus tests
From KTLA June 16, 2020 Orange County has seen an an uptick in mosquito activity in urban and coastal areas, recording higher than average counts of the bloodthirsty insect for…
News Briefs 06.12.2020
CalSurv Webinars for MVCAC Members; MVCAC Receives Clarification From EPA on Reuse of N95 Masks; Effectiveness of N95 Respirator Decontamination and Reuse against SARS-CoV-2 Virus; CDPH VBDS – 2020 Plague…
Asian giant hornet panic is oversized — and threatens native insects
From Capital Press June 10, 2020 The U.S. has 3,141 counties, but just one, Whatcom County in northern Washington state, has documented sightings of the Asian giant hornet, dubbed “murder…
Volcanic Glass Could Potentially Control Mosquito Population
From Nature World News June 10, 2020 The findings of a new study show that a residual spray that contains a combination of perlite, a type of volcanic glass, and water is…
Region’s first mosquito sample of year finds West Nile virus activity in Elk Grove
From The Sacramento Bee June 10, 2020 The year’s first mosquito sample revealed that insects carrying the West Nile virus already have arrived in the Elk Grove area. “The very…
New antivirals for influenza and Zika
From EurekAlert! June 9, 2020 Leuven researchers have deployed synthetic amyloids to trigger protein misfolding as a strategy to combat the influenza A and Zika virus. Amyloids are particular protein…
Mosquitoes With West Nile Virus Found In Milpitas
From KPIX June 9, 2020 MILPITAS (CBS SF) – Crews with Santa Clara County Vector Control plan to spray mosquito control treatments in parts of Milpitas later this week, after…
Positive Tests Confirm West Nile Virus Mosquitoes In Santa Clara
From the Milpitas Patch June 8, 2020 SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. – The County of Santa Clara Vector Control District has confirmed West Nile virus (WNV) positive tests in adult mosquitoes…
News Briefs 6.5.2020
MVCAC Receives Clarification From EPA on Reuse of N95 Masks; Effectiveness of N95 Respirator Decontamination and Reuse against SARS-CoV-2 Virus; CDPH VBDS – 2020 Plague Surveillance Program; Submit your AMCA…
More valley mosquitos test positive for West Nile Virus
From KESQ June 5, 2020 More mosquito traps have tested positive for the West Nile virus in our valley. “Yes, lots of them hordes of them…swarms,” said Diane Mann. West…
First Mosquito With West Nile Virus Found In San Diego County
From KPBS June 5, 2020 A mosquito caught in routine trapping in the Black Mountain Ranch area has tested positive for West Nile virus, the first appearance of the virus…
First Find Of West Nile Virus Activity In San Joaquin County for 2020
From San Joaquin County MVCD June 4, 2020 (STOCKTON, CA) – San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District’s (District) mosquito-borne disease surveillance program confirmed a West Nile virus (WNV)…
A new threat to bees
From the Harvard Gazette June 4, 2020 They’re here. Native to East Asia, the so-called murder hornets were spotted in North America for the first time late last year and…
KALAMAZOO COUNTY GEARS-UP AGAINST THE ZIKA VIRUS
From WBCK June 4, 2020 Kalamazoo County health officials announced details of the current mosquito surveillance program for this summer. In order to detect any evidence of potential carriers of…
Brazil’s Zika Epidemic Worsens
From Zika News June 4, 2020 As the COVID-19 disease pandemic dominates the world media headlines, the Zika virus has steadily put women and children at grave risk in the…
Mosquitoes with West Nile virus in Fresno. ‘Everyone should take this disease seriously’
From the Fresno Bee June 4, 2020 West Nile virus has again been detected in mosquitoes in Fresno, county health officials announced Thursday. “This confirmation is a strong reminder that…
West Nile virus mosquitoes collected in Fresno County
From FOX 26 News June 4, 2020 FRESNO, Calif (FOX26) — The Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District notified the Fresno County Department of Public Health of West Nile virus-positive tests in adult…
What We Know (And Don’t Know) About Child Language Development and Zika Virus Exposure: An Interview with Dr. Keisha Lindsay
From NYU Steinhardt June 3, 2020 We sat down with Provost’s Fellow and Assistant Professor of Communicative Sciences and Disorders Keisha Lindsay to discuss her research on the 2016 Zika epidemic and…
West Nile virus discovered in mosquitoes in Coachella Valley
From the Desert Sun June 1, 2020 Mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus were discovered in Palm Desert, officials announced today. The infected mosquitoes were collected from two traps —…
Walnut Creek residents up to their ankles in beetles The small, black beetles are in the house and all over the property
From The Mercury News June 1, 2020 DEAR JOAN: Can you help us? We have been utterly inundated with beetles. We’ve lived in this location for 10 years, and we’ve never…
News Briefs 5.29.2020
CDPH VBDS – 2020 Plague Surveillance Program; Submit your AMCA Award Nominations Now!; CalSurv webinars for MVCAC members; Statewide COVID-19 Response Discussion; MVCAC Summer Board Meeting; Governor’s Executive Order on…
Can The ‘Murder Hornet’ Destroy Our Food And Honey Supply?
From Huffpost May 29, 2020 As if we don’t have enough to worry about, now there’s a “murder hornet.” It’s the nickname for an Asian giant hornet, and according to…
Viral disease confirmed in La Quinta mosquitoes
From the Desert Sun May 29, 2020 The Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District today announced mosquitoes in La Quinta had tested positive for a viral disease that can be transmitted…
Zika infection soon after birth leads to long-term brain and behavior problems
From Medical Xpress May 26, 2020 Researchers from the Yerkes National Primate Research Center have shown Zika virus infection soon after birth leads to long-term brain and behavior problems, including…
News Briefs 5.22.2020
Submit your AMCA Award Nominations Now!; CalSurv webinars for MVCAC members; Statewide COVID-19 Response Discussion; MVCAC Summer Board Meeting; Governor’s Executive Order on Brown Act; Update From Legal Counsel on…
Asian giant hornets sighted in US for first time, UC Davis entomologists say media exaggerated severity of issue
From The Aggie May 22, 2020 Despite sightings of giant hornet species, spread through North America highly unlikely, experts say Giant, tiger-striped insects have been making quite the buzz lately.…
New Mexico reports first human case of West Nile Virus infection this year
From KFOX14 May 21, 2020 SANTA FE, NM — The New Mexico Department of Health is reporting the first human case of West Nile virus infection in New Mexico this year.…
Submit your AMCA Award Nominations Now!
Deadline is August 20, 2020 AMCA Awards recognize individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the Association, to medical entomology and public health, and to the development and implementation of…
News Briefs 5.15.20
CalSurv webinars for MVCAC members; Statewide COVID-19 Response Discussion; Virtual Special Districts Legislative Days; MVCAC Summer Board Meeting; Governor’s Executive Order on Brown Act; Update From Legal Counsel on New…
What’s ‘bugging’ your dog? Let’s take a look
From the Chico Enterprise-Record May 14, 2020 You’ve just returned home from a springtime walk through the woods with your furry pal, and you see something on her fur that…
BUTTE COUNTY MOSQUITO AND VECTOR CONTROL DISTRICT WILL FLY HIGH TO FIGHT ‘BACKYARD BREEDERS’
From Action News Now May 14, 2020 BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. – The Butte County Mosquito and Vector Control District and the Butte County Sheriff’s Department are teaming up to conduct aerial…
Mosquitoes’ taste for human blood may grow as African cities expand
From Science Magazine May 12, 2020 n most of the world, the Aedes aegypti mosquito is notorious for biting humans and spreading dengue, Zika, and other viruses. But in Africa, where the…
Why Wasps, Ticks, and Mosquitoes Are More Dangerous Than Murder Hornets in Summer 2020
From Medicine Net May 12, 2020 Huge, invasive “murder hornets” may be scary, but so are the typical native species of hornets, bees, mosquitoes, and ticks that cause disease and death in…
Zika Virus Tied to Profound Developmental Delays
From U.S. News May 11, 2020 Toddlers with congenital Zika syndrome have severe developmental delays, researchers report. In a study that covered a five-year period, researchers found that children in…
Mosquitos Don’t Carry COVID-19, But They’re Still A Threat In California
From Cap Radio May 11, 2020 It’s getting to be mosquito season in California, and public health officials say people need to be vigilant about avoiding bites. Mosquitos don’t spread…
News Briefs 5.8.2020
CalSurv webinars for MVCAC members; Statewide COVID-19 Response Discussion; Virtual Special Districts Legislative Days; MVCAC Summer Board Meeting; Governor’s Executive Order on Brown Act; Update From Legal Counsel on New…
Mosquitos Carrying Dengue, Zika, Yellow Fever Would Be More Prevalent by 2030, Study Warns
From The Science Times May 9, 2020 A new study by the Imperial College London warns that mosquitos carrying diseases such as dengue, Zika, and yellow fever would likely colonize…
A Kenyan-British team of scientists has discovered a microbe to stop malaria transmission
From Quartz Africa May 7, 2020 Scientists in Kenya have discovered a novel method with significant potential to completely stop mosquitos from transmitting the parasites which cause malaria in humans.…
Genetically Engineered Male Mosquitos to be Released in Florida and Other Parts of US to Curb Zika and Dengue Spread
From The Science Times May 6, 2020 Mosquitos are best known as pests causing itch-inducing bites and spread harmful diseases such as dengue fever and Zika virus. But, they still…
Brazilian Study Assesses Developmental Delays in Children with Congenital Zika Syndrome
From Contagion Live May 5, 2020 As children born in 2015 and 2016 with congenital Zika syndrome age, investigators are gradually able to assess neurodevelopmental outcomes. The team behind a recent study…
Murder Hornets Invade Pacific Northwest, Threaten The Honeybee Population
From NPR May 4, 2020 NPR’s Ari Shapiro talks with beekeeper Ruthie Danielsen about the race to prevent the Asian giant hornets from getting a foothold in the U.S. and…
News Briefs 05.01.2020
Statewide COVID-19 Response Discussion; Virtual Special Districts Legislative Days; Covid-19 Supplies & PPE Available; Ways to Secure Zoom Meetings; MVCAC Summer Board Meeting; Governor’s Executive Order on Brown Act; MVCAC…
Woodland preps for mosquito virus
From the Daily Democrat May 4, 2020 If it’s not one virus it’s another, the Sacramento Yolo-Mosquito & Vector Control District is warning area residents. On Tuesday night, the Woodland…
‘Murder Hornets’ are in the United States. These other dangerous bugs are more common
From USA Today May 4, 2020 An invasive hornet species that slaughters honeybees and can be deadly to humans is sparking concern in the United States. A small number of…
MOSQUITO SEASON: What to do to avoid the West Nile Virus and protect your home
From the Appeal Democrat April 29, 2020 April ushers in spring gardens and warmer weather … and it also marks the time when West Nile virus begins appearing. Managers at…
‘Throughline’: The Mosquito’s Impact On The Shaping Of The U.S.
From NPR April 28, 2020 NPR’s History Podcast Throughline looks at the outsized role of the mosquito on the outcome of the American Revolution. Listen here.