From CBS Miami November 20, 2017 MIAMI (CBSMiami) — A drug used to prevent and treat malaria could also help fight the Zika virus, according to research published Monday. It’s…
Author: Sarah Spencer
Scientists worry Zika virus will return soon
From The Johns Hopkins News-Letter November 16, 2017 Recently, the number of people suffering from Zika virus throughout the world has significantly decreased. However, biologists predict that Zika will return…
There’s a New Way to Wipe Out Mosquitoes in the U.S.
From TIME Magazine November 16, 2017 Mosquitoes are some of the deadliest creatures in the world, carrying diseases like Zika, dengue and chikungunya. In response, the U.S. government has given the green light to a unique…
We Just Used Genetic Engineering to Create Completely Yellow, Three-Eyed, Wingless Mosquitoes
From Futurism November 15, 2017 SELF-DESTRUCTING MOSQUITOES Gene editing is an incredibly powerful technique, made faster and more capable by CRISPR, which is the world’s most efficient and exact genetic manipulation…
‘Unusually high’ number of birds test positive for West Nile in SLO County
From The Tribune November 14, 2017 Five birds have tested positive for West Nile virus in 2017, an “unusually high” number and more than in recent years, the San Luis…
News Briefs 11.9.17
IT Survey and GIS Survey; 2018 William C. Reeves New Investigator Award Applications Due 12/1/17; Agency Spotlight; 86th Annual MVCAC Conference – January 28-30, 2018; District Trustee Information Form; MVCAC…
California sees increase in West Nile virus deaths this year, compared to 2016
From Los Angeles Daily News November 13, 2017 More people were infected and died of West Nile virus across California this year compared to last year, especially in Los Angeles…
To find an effective Zika vaccine, we must include pregnant women in the trials
From The Hill November 12, 2017 Though the World Health Organization has lifted the emergency alert on the Zika virus, scientists continue their push to develop a vaccine. Late last year,…
Some Good News, As A Zika-Exposed Baby Turns One
From WAMU November 9, 2017 Two years ago, when the Zika virus was first identified as the cause of microcephaly in babies, women were scared. Expectant mothers who got infected had…
Local West Nile Virus Survivor Speaks Out
From CBS Los Angeles November 7, 2017
New evidence of brain damage from West Nile virus, scientists say
From The Washington Post November 7, 2017 Experts who work on the mosquito-borne West Nile virus have long known that it can cause serious neurological symptoms, such as memory problems and tremors,…
Boatmen bugs raiding Coachella Valley
From KESQ November 6, 2017 COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. – Bugs have invaded the Coachella Valley. People have reported seeing thousands of the small insects on car windshields and in their pool. The owner of Coachella Valley…
News Briefs 11.3.17
Visual Gateway Workshop Interest Form; IT Survey and GIS Survey; 2018 William C. Reeves New Investigator Award Applications Due 12/1/17; From ESA – Hurricane Recovery: Your Help is Needed; Agency…
Ontario Reports EEE and WNV Cases in Horse Population
From EquiManagement November 1, 2017 Ontario, Canada, has reported additional cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) and equine West Nile virus (WNV). Second EEE Case in Ontario A second case…
The forgotten mothers and babies of Zika
From CNN November 1, 2017 Barely more than children themselves when they give birth, many of the forgotten mothers of Zika-striken babies in the Brazilian state of Alagoas are shiny-new…
Officials Concerned About Mosquitoes Breeding In Fire-Ravaged Backyard Pools
From CBS SF Bay Area October 31, 2017 SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) — Sonoma County health officials said Tuesday they were concerned by the mosquito breeding threat posed by backyard…
Virus-Spreading Mosquitos Confirmed Locally
From The Los Feliz Ledger October 31, 2017 West Nile Virus is on the rise across Los Angeles with 208 reported cases this year according to Los Angeles public health…
Smart mosquito trap could prevent spread of deadly diseases
From Fox News October 31, 2017 Doctors hope a mosquito trap will prevent the spread of disease. The trap is smart enough to know what type of mosquito it’s trapping,…
Stanford researchers seek citizen scientists to contribute to worldwide mosquito tracking
From Stanford News October 31, 2017 It’s a sound that can keep even the weariest among us from falling asleep: the high-pitched whine of a mosquito. This irritating buzz already…
News Briefs 10.27.17
Visual Gateway Workshop Interest Form; Sonoma preschoolers learn about yellow jackets; What you can learn from the people who protect you from disease-carrying pests; From ESA – Hurricane Recovery: Your…
Zika hasn’t been in the news much, but that doesn’t mean it’s gone
From Science News October 30, 2017 Less than a year after the World Health Organization declared Zika is no longer a public health emergency, the virus seems to have fallen…
L.A. County far outpaces us in West Nile cases
From VC Star October 28, 2017 While Ventura County has seen only one human case of West Nile virus this year, neighboring Los Angeles County has seen more than 200…
Zika virus infects developing brain by first infecting cells meant to defend against it
From EurekAlert October 27, 2017 Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues in Brazil, report that the Zika virus is transmitted from mother to…
What you can learn from the people who protect you from disease-carrying pests
From The Orange County Register October 25, 2017 A fly landing on salad. A roof rat scurrying across the yard. A flea hopping from your pet to your skin. For…
Sonoma preschoolers learn about yellow jackets
From Sonoma News October 23, 2017 The Marin-Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District protects the health and welfare of the communities it serves from mosquitoes and vector-borne diseases by utilizing…
News Briefs 10.20.17
Visual Gateway Workshop Interest Form; The head of the U.S.’s largest mosquito control program has science on her side; From ESA – Hurricane Recovery: Your Help is Needed; Agency Spotlight;…
Warm Weather Helps Prolong West Nile Virus Risk
From UCANR October 23, 2017 Summer may be over, but continued warm weather means that mosquitoes are still active. So far this year, 361 cases of the mosquito-borne illness West…
Second bird tests positive for West Nile Virus in El Dorado County
From YubaNet.com October 20, 2017 PLACERVILLE, CAlif. October 20, 2017 – El Dorado County health officials received confirmation last week that a bird found in the Garden Valley area of…
Mosquitoes evolved to fly away with a belly full of your blood—without you ever noticing
From Popular Science October 19, 2017 Mosquitoes are weird fliers. Your typical aeronaut—a sparrow or a fruit fly, for instance—takes flight by jumping into the air. Only once aloft do they…
If A Pile Of Poo Has An Emoji, Shouldn’t A Mosquito Have One Too?
From NPR October 18, 2017 There are 2,666 emojis available for tweets and texts. Everything from a butterfly to a croissant to a unicorn. But global health advocates think there’s…
The head of the U.S.’s largest mosquito control program has science on her side
From Popular Science October 17, 2017 There are more than 3,000 species of mosquitoes in the world, and if Jodi Holeman could, she’d catch one of each. She can identify…
West Nile Virus infected Mosquitoes found in Palm Springs
From KESQ October 16, 2017 PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – For the second time in Palm Springs this year, a sample of mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile. The Coachella…
News Briefs 10.13.17
MVCAC Planning Meeting; Visual Gateway Workshop Interest Form; CDPH VBDS 2016 Annual Report; From ESA – Hurricane Recovery: Your Help is Needed; Agency Spotlight; 86th Annual MVCAC Conference – January…
Aedes aegypti mosquito detected in Mecca
From KESQ October 11, 2017 MECCA, Calif. – Mecca has become the latest city in the valley to be detected with the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The Coachella Valley Mosquito and…
Disease-Transmitting Aedes Mosquito Prompts Santa Clarita Public Information Session
From KHTS AM 1220 October 10, 2017 The disease-transmitting Aedes mosquito has been confirmed in the Santa Clarita area, prompting city officials to host a Public Information Session about the…
WEST NILE VIRUS ACTIVITY CONTINUES IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
From Contra Costa MVCD October 10, 2017 More dead birds, chickens, and mosquitoes test positive for the virus CONCORD, CALIFORNIA – – The Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District…
News Briefs 10.06.17
From ESA – Hurricane Recovery: Your Help is Needed; Contra Costa MVCD – Paula Macedo, New General Manager, Takes the Helm; Alameda MAD – Quarterly Newsletter and Updates; Agency Spotlight;…
CDPH VBDS 2016 Annual Report
From CDPH October 9, 2017 The 2016 Annual Report of the Vector-Borne Disease Section has been posted on the VBDS Annual Report webpage: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/VBDSAnnualReports.aspx. A PDF of the report is…
Orange County records its first West Nile virus-related death
From The Orange County Register October 6, 2017 The peak season of the mosquito-borne West Nile virus should be nearing its end, but state and local agencies are warning people…
Four chickens near Redding catch West Nile virus
From The Record Searchlight October 3, 2017 Four “sentinel chickens” east of Redding have tested positive for West Nile virus, according to the Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control District. The…
MOSQUITOES, DEAD BIRDS, AND A CHICKEN TEST POSITIVE FOR WEST NILE VIRUS
From Contra Costa MVCD October 3, 2017 Two Contra Costa County residents also test positive for the virus CONCORD, CALIFORNIA – – The Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control…
Controlling mosquitoes through aerial management
From Sierra Wave Media October 2, 2017 OVMAP news release Recent mosquito trap data indicate that recent aerial larviciding treatments were very successful, with mosquito populations reduced by about half in the two…
WVMVCD Media Release: Invasive Mosquito Alert: Aedes albopictus Detected in Montclair
From West Valley MVCD October 2, 2017 The West Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District has detected the presence of Aedes albopictus, commonly known as the Asian tiger mosquito, in…
News Briefs 09.29.17
Call for Speakers; Agency Spotlight; 86th Annual MVCAC Conference – January 28-30, 2018; 2018 William C. Reeves New Investigator Award Applications Due 12/1/17; District Trustee Information Form; Leading Edge Training…
Deadly West Nile virus cases are spiking in LA. The first line of defense: chickens
From Stat News September 29, 2017 EL MONTE, Calif. — The chickens are used to the needles. They don’t fuss when vector ecologist Tanya Posey pulls opens the door of…
West Nile virus targeted in Sepulveda Basin as public health concerns heighten
From The Los Angeles Daily News September 27, 2017 Vector control agents conducted a pre-dawn raid on adult mosquitoes in the Sepulveda Basin on Wednesday to knock down the populations…
SoCal mosquito season brings disease danger
From ABC 7 September 26, 2017 HAWAIIAN GARDENS, Calif. (KABC) — Several people have died this year from the West Nile Virus in Southern California. With mosquito season in full…
Yellow fever mosquito found in Tulare
From The Porterville Recorder September 25, 2017 The yellow fever mosquito has been found in the City of Tulare by the Tulare Mosquito Abatement District, the Tulare County Health and…
INVASIVE Aedes aegypti MOSQUITOES FOUND IN MERCED, CA
Press Release From Merced County MAD September 25, 2017 MERCED, CA– The Merced County Mosquito Abatement District identified Aedes aegypti, also known as the yellow fever mosquito, in the city…
News Briefs 09.22.17
Call for Speakers; Agency Spotlight; District Trustee Information Form; 86th Annual MVCAC Conference – January 28-30, 2018; 2018 William C. Reeves New Investigator Award Applications Due 12/1/17; Leading Edge Training…