From The Escalon Times
April 18, 2018

San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District (District) is asking the public to be aware of standing water around their property.

“For mosquitoes, any standing water in large containers to plastic bottle caps is suitable for mosquito development,” said Aaron Devencenzi, Public Information Officer with the District. “As temperatures increase with intermittent rains, mosquito populations will begin to thrive. The District is asking people to diligently remove any standing water on a weekly basis. In addition, we are asking that daytime biting mosquitoes be reported to the District.”

There are two different invasive Aedes mosquito species moving their way through California. Aedes aegypti commonly called the yellow fever mosquito and Aedes albopictus, commonly called the Asian tiger mosquito, are potential carriers of mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika. Primarily established in southern and central areas of California, Aedes aegypti were found in Merced County in September of 2017. Early detection is key. If the District is able to detect the invasive Aedes mosquitoes early, there is higher chance to contain or possibly eradicate the population.

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From KCRA 3
April 18, 2018

Late spring rain and warm temperatures have increased the mosquito population.

The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District announced Mosquito and West Nile Virus Awareness Week on April 15 to 21.

Click here to view the interview

From 3 News Las Vegas
April 18, 2018

SPARKS (KSNV) — The Nevada Department of Agriculture encourages horse owners throughout the state of Nevada to vaccinate against to the West Nile Virus.

“Vaccinations, in conjunction with practices that reduce exposure to mosquitos, are very effective in protecting horses from West Nile Virus,” says ,” Dr. JJ Goicoechea, the Nevada Department of Agriculture’s State Veterinarian.

The Nevada Department of Agriculture monitors the West Nile Virus yearly, and other diseases carried by mosquitos closely to protect public health and safety, and the agriculture industry.

In addition to West Nile Virus, the Animal Disease Laboratory at the Nevada Department of Agriculture tests for two other widespread arboviral diseases: Saint Louis Encephalitis (SLE) Virus and Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE) Virus. All three can cause severe disease and death in humans.

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From The Oakdale Leader
April 18, 2018

There are two different invasive Aedes mosquito species moving their way through California. Aedes aegypti commonly called the yellow fever mosquito and Aedes albopictus, commonly called the Asian tiger mosquito, are potential carriers of mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika.

With April 15 through 21 observed as Mosquito Awareness Week in California, officials are reminding residents to take care to protect against West Nile and other illnesses that can be caused by mosquitoes.

West Nile virus is endemic to most of California. Protect yourself from mosquito bites and reduce your risk of WNV infection and other mosquito-transmitted diseases by taking these precautions:

Eliminate all sources of standing water on your property that can support mosquito breeding.

Apply insect repellent containing the active ingredient DEET or Picaridin when outdoors, according to label instructions.

Avoid spending time outside when mosquitoes are most active, at dawn and dusk, and especially for the first two hours after sunset.

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From The New York Post
April 17, 2018

Watch out for house mice — they could be dangerous to your health.

A new study in New York City found they carry life-threatening, disease-causing bacteria — and some may be resistant to antibiotics.

“Mice are more than just a nuisance — they are a potential source of infections. We used to think of mosquitoes as the source of just an itchy bite, but now we know they carry Zika virus and West Nile virus,” says Ian Lipkin, director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

Researchers collected 416 mice from residential buildings at seven sites across the city. A genetic analysis of their droppings revealed that the mice carry several gastrointestinal bacteria including C. difficile, E. coli, Shigella and Salmonella, a leading cause of bacterial food poisoning.

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From Time Health
April 17, 2018

Warmer weather signals the onset of vacations, destination weddings and—unfortunately—mosquitoes. Since the Zika virus emerged three years ago in the Americas, cases have declined, but many people wonder if they still need to consider the mosquito-borne disease when making travel plans.

“The bottom line is yes,” says Dr. Paul Mead, a medical officer in the CDC’s division of vector-borne diseases: Americans do still need to take precautions to protect against Zika. The CDC recommends that pregnant couples who live or travel to areas with Zika (a list that currently includes countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, North America, South America and the Pacific Islands) should use condoms every time they have oral, vaginal or anal sex, or should abstain from sex altogether during the pregnancy—even if the pregnant woman’s partner does not have symptoms or feel sick. The CDC also advises against sharing sex toys. These precautions help protect against the devastating birth defects that have been linked to Zika.

But new research suggests some good news: that the window of sexual transmission for Zika may be shorter than previously thought.

Read more

From Laguna Beach Patch
April 17, 2018

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Mosquito Awareness was celebrated this week in Laguna Beach, Orange County and across California thanks state legislature. This is the season that breeds the bugs from wiggly larvae to the flying, sucking, stinging critters we all know and (don’t) love. In Orange County, the OC Mosquito and Vector Control District (OCMVCD) joined public health agencies throughout the state to raise awareness and educate Californians about the threat mosquitoes and vectors can pose to local communities.

“Over the last few years, Orange County has experienced an increase in cases of mosquito-borne illnesses such as the West Nile virus. Furthermore, the presence of the invasive Aedes mosquitoes threatens the county with diseases such as Zika virus, dengue fever, and Chikungunya” said Mary-Joy Coburn, OCMVCD Public Affairs Coordinator. “To ensure the protection of family, friends, and pets, it’s extremely important to make sure that residents are taking the proper steps to eliminate standing water on their properties and to control the mosquito population.”

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From Lake Tahoe News
April 17, 2018

With this being Mosquito Awareness Week, El Dorado County health officials are reminding residents to take steps to protect themselves from mosquitoes as warmer weather approaches.

West Nile virus is primarily a disease of birds that can be transmitted to people and animals by mosquitoes. WNV is a mosquito-borne disease that can result in debilitating cases of meningitis and encephalitis, and death to humans, horses, avian species and other wildlife. In 2017, there were 536 confirmed human cases of WNV in 44 counties throughout California, with no cases in El Dorado County. Statewide there were 43 human deaths.

Pregnant women should be aware about the risks of traveling to Mexico and other countries where the Zika virus can be transmitted through mosquito bite, which can result in harm to the growing fetus.

El Dorado County vector control technicians respond to resident complaints and provide surveillance and control of mosquito sources in designated areas of the county.

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From County of El Dorado
April 17, 2018

(PLACERVILLE, CA) – The California Legislature has declared April 15 through April 21, 2018 as Mosquito Awareness Week to raise awareness and educate Californians about the threat mosquitoes pose to our communities. El Dorado County health officials are reminding residents to take steps to protect themselves from mosquitoes as warmer weather approaches, both at home and when traveling out of the Country, and to be aware of the serious risks mosquitoes present to their health including West Nile, Saint Louis encephalitis, and potentially dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses.

West Nile Virus (WNV) is primarily a disease of birds that can be transmitted to people and animals by mosquitoes. WNV is a mosquito-borne disease that can result in debilitating cases of meningitis and encephalitis and death to humans, horses, avian species and other wildlife. In 2017, there were 536 confirmed human cases of WNV in 44 counties throughout California with no cases in El Dorado County. Statewide there were 43 human deaths.

“Pregnant women should be aware about the risks of traveling to Mexico and other countries where the Zika virus can be transmitted through mosquito bite, which can result in harm to the growing fetus,” said County Health Officer, Dr. Nancy Williams. “Babies born to mothers infected with Zika virus can be born with microcephaly or other severe fetal brain defects. The safest thing for pregnant women or women who could become pregnant is to postpone travel to countries where Zika virus is present until after the baby is born.” For more information about Zika virus and pregnant women, Williams points people to https://www.cdc.gov/zika/pregnancy/index.html

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From The Daily Republic
April 17, 2018

FAIRFIELD — Perhaps the last thing on anyone’s mind on a rainy Monday morning was the threat of mosquitoes.

However, according to the state Department of Public Health, “there has been a steep rise in detections of invasive mosquito populations in California . . . which increases the risk of local transmission of imported diseases.”

April 15-22 is Mosquito Awareness Week.

The end of the recent drought and the lifting of water restrictions also mean the return of water practices that create more mosquito habitat, the state agency reports.

“With millions of international travelers arriving or returning to California each year and the spread of these invasive mosquito species across California, the potential for local transmission of imported diseases is increasing,” David Heft, president of the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California, said in a statement released Monday by the organization.

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From Science News for Students
April 16, 2018

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — In many places, a moonless night sky is no longer inky black. Artificial lighting can give the night a persistent glow. This so-called light pollution can affect animals. And new data now suggest those effects might trickle through ecosystems.

Even moderate light pollution, a new study finds, can roughly double how long a house sparrow infected with West Nile virus remains at high risk of spreading disease. If bitten by a mosquito, that virus can now spread to other animals, including people.

In the United States, house sparrows are about as widespread as is artificial lighting. So they made a useful test species in a new first-of-its-kind study, says Meredith Kernbach. Her team used these birds to test whether light at night might affect the spread of West Nile disease. Kernbach’s work combines ecology with the study of immune systems. She works at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

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From The Bangor Daily News
April 16, 2018

A public warning and call to action, the new book “Lyme: The First Epidemic of Climate Change,” by investigative journalist Mary Beth Pfeiffer, sheds light on a tick-borne disease that recently has emerged to infect hundreds of thousands of people in the United States each year.

Lauded by well-known authors and conservationists, including Jane Goodall, Jane Alexander and Bill McKibben, “Lyme” officially hits bookstore shelves on April 17. The book challenges mainstream medicine and prevailing perceptions of the complicated disease.

“There’s a problem with how we manage Lyme disease,” Pfeiffer said in a recent phone interview. “People need to be aware that we have a long way to go before we get to the point where we can adequately diagnose and treat Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.”

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From The Los Alamitos Patch
April 16, 2018

Mosquitoes are not only nuisances; they can cause sickness and death through the diseases they can carry. This week (April 15 -21) the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District (OCMVCD) joins public health agencies throughout the state to raise awareness and educate Californians about the threat mosquitoes can pose to local residents and families.

To kickoff California Mosquito Awareness Week and the mosquito season:

• OCMVCD is releasing a West Nile virus (WNV) Survivor video about the impact of a mosquito-borne illness on one local family (http://bit.ly/WNVSurvivor2018).
• The District has also deployed additional inspectors to canvass neighborhoods with historically higher than average mosquito activity to expand public education with residents.
• Vector Control officials have started meeting with various city staff to discuss mosquito control and fixing infrastructure issues.
• Mrs. Mosquito, OCMVCD’s Giant Inflatable Mosquito, along with District staff will be participating in events across the county to educate the public about mosquito sources found on their yards and what residents can do to protect themselves.
• The District’s social media pages will also be highlighting mosquito prevention tips and tricks and awarding prizes to participants.

Read more

From Spectrum News Austin
April 15, 2018

AUSTIN, Texas — According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, two cases of Zika have been reported in Williamson County.

Not many details have been provided about the two cases, however DSHS did confirm that both cases are travel-related.

The Zika virus is spread through mosquitos, but can also be spread from mother to child, through blood transfusion, and sexual contact. The most common symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis.

People can prevent mosquitos from breeding in their yard by making sure to remove any standing water.

It is also important to use insect repellents when going outside and avoid being outdoor during peak mosquito hours.

Read more

From The New York Times
April 13, 2018

High in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Spain, an international team of researchers set out four buckets to gather a shower of viruses falling from the sky.

Scientists have surmised there is a stream of viruses circling the planet, above the planet’s weather systems but below the level of airline travel. Very little is known about this realm, and that’s why the number of deposited viruses stunned the team in Spain. Each day, they calculated, some 800 million viruses cascade onto every square meter of the planet.

Most of the globe-trotting viruses are swept into the air by sea spray, and lesser numbers arrive in dust storms.

“Unimpeded by friction with the surface of the Earth, you can travel great distances, and so intercontinental travel is quite easy” for viruses, said Curtis Suttle, a marine virologist at the University of British Columbia. “It wouldn’t be unusual to find things swept up in Africa being deposited in North America.”

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From The California Aggie
April 13, 2018

Certain wolbachia strains could spread rapidly through mosquito populations, block transmittance of viruses to humans, UC Davis study shows

Wolbachia, a parasitic microbe found in up to two-thirds of insects, was discovered only a few decades ago and is not fully understood. A new study from UC Davis analyzed the interspecific spread of Wolbachia across different species of fruit flies. The bacteria’s ability to select for infected offspring and provide immune benefits to its host allows it to spread rapidly throughout populations.

“Wolbachia don’t necessarily spread through increasing relative fitness of their hosts, rather they interfere with reproductive abilities,” said Kevin Kim, an undergraduate biochemistry major and co-author of the study, in an email. “During host reproduction, wolbachia are transmitted via the mother to their offspring, so male-killing Wolbachia increase the rate of production of infected females, which can go on to produce infected offspring. Similarly, [cytoplasmic incompatibility] prevents uninfected females from producing their ‘maximum’ number of offspring — except in cases where both parents are uninfected — and thus promotes the spread of wolbachia.”

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From CBS News
April 12, 2018

Guidelines in place for protecting against the sexual transmission of Zika virus need to be re-evaluated, based on a new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC currently recommends that men who have traveled to a Zika-active region either use condoms or abstain from sex for at least 6 months.

But that guideline is based on data showing that genetic traces of Zika virus can be found in semen 180 days after infection.

The new data shows that actual infectious Zika particles remain in semen for much less time than those non-infectious genetic traces, said lead researcher Dr. Paul Mead, a CDC epidemiologist in Fort Collins, Colo.

Infectious Zika virus particles are more rarely found in semen, and appear to clear out within a month of infection, Mead said.

“Based on this new information, we certainly will be re-evaluating those guidelines,” he added. “We will be looking at it to see whether or not the recommendations should be modified.”

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From The Merced Sun-Star
April 11, 2018

If mosquitoes are hovering over your green swimming pool, it’s time to drain the water for the good of the community, abatement officials said.

The Merced County Abatement District recently took aerial photographs to see if and how many neglected swimming pools there are in the county, according to a news release.

Officials found that there were 1,679 neglected swimming pools in Merced County that could be ripe breeding grounds for mosquitoes that may carry West Nile Virus and St. Louis Encephalitis Virus, the release states.

“This is the first time Merced County Mosquito Abatement District has used aerial photography to assess the neglected swimming pool situation,” said General Manager Rhiannon Jones, noting the number of pools was much higher than expected.

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From The York Daily Record
April 11, 2018

You will get bit by a mosquito, probably soon. The mosquito larva are already wiggling around in pools of standing water, sometimes in containers as small as a soda cap.

That bite will likely be little more than an annoyance, something to scratch at for an hour or a day. 

But that bite could infect you with West Nile virus, and that might result in a high fever and body aches. In severe cases, the virus can kill people. Over the last 10 years, 10 people across Pennsylvania have died as a result of the virus.

And your property is likely a breeding ground for these pests. 

Read more

From The National Science Foundation
April 10, 2018

Where’s the greatest risk of a mosquito bite if you live in Baltimore, Maryland? Scientists studying Baltimore neighborhoods where residents have low, median or high incomes say that people are most at risk in areas with median incomes. Their results offer some intriguing reasons.

Southwest Baltimore’s ‘mosquito neighborhoods’

This week, ecologists report in the journal Parasites & Vectors that socioeconomic differences among Baltimore neighborhoods influence bite risk. Shannon LaDeau, a scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, New York, and co-author of the paper, explains that “mosquitoes are a global threat to public health. We’re interested in knowing how urban landscape features and social patterns influence mosquito biting behavior.”

Understanding how neighborhoods regulate mosquito bites is key to managing diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, such as West Nile virus and Zika virus, according to LaDeau.

The study took place in five neighborhoods in southwest Baltimore. The sectors represented a socioeconomic range below, at or above the city’s median household income.

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From The Orlando Sentinel
April 10, 2018

With mosquito season just around the corner, Orange County is getting money from the state to help combat the Zika virus.

Orange is one of just 10 counties statewide to receive the $325,000 grant from the state Department of Health, Mosquito Control Division Manager Kelly Deutsch said.

The funds will be used to purchase equipment such as handheld sprayers, backpack sprayers, truck-mounted sprayers, traps, and anti-mosquito materials including pellets, briquettes and liquids.

The amount was less than similar grants awarded by the state in 2016 and 2017, when the Zika threat was at its highest.

The county received $61,000 from the DOH in 2016, when 1,122 travel-related cases and 298 locally-transmitted cases were reported, and $166,000 in 2017 when there were 225 travel-related cases and two locally-transmitted cases, one in Manatee County and the other in Miami-Dade County.

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From The Burlingame Patch
April 10, 2018

San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District: On Thursday, April 26th, 2018, San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District will hold an open house at its office at 1351 Rollins Rd. in Burlingame from 4pm until 7pm to celebrate Mosquito Awareness Week. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the staff and tour the laboratory, as well as participate in a variety of demonstrations, exhibits, and activities. No RSVP is required for this event.

San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District is responsible for vector-borne disease surveillance and control of vectors (insects and other animals that may transmit diseases to humans) throughout the county, including mosquito control, public education, and disease surveillance.
Further information about San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District’s open house is available at www.smcmvcd.org/openhouse.

From Stat
April 4, 2018

A new study in primates raises the possibility that children infected with the Zika virus during infancy could be at risk of experiencing brain damage.

Zika is known to destroy developing brain tissue when it infects a fetus in the womb. Scientists know less — next to nothing, essentially — about how the virus might affect the brain of an infant infected after birth.

In the new study, scientists infected rhesus macaques with Zika virus at the age of about 1 month — which corresponds to about 3 months of age in a child. The macaques showed troubling brain and behavioral changes.

The findings, published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine, are worrisome, admitted Dr. Karin Nielsen-Saines, who was not involved in the research.

Nielsen-Saines, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who studies the Zika virus, said during the height of the Zika outbreak in 2016 she and colleagues were often asked if it was safe to take a baby to areas where Zika was transmitting.

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From The San Diego Union-Tribune
April 3, 2018

April starts mosquito season, and that means an increased risk of West Nile and Zika virus infection.

Though that risk gets stronger in late summer and early fall, San Diego County experts are starting early this year, warning the region’s 3 million residents to do what they can to keep their properties from becoming mosquito breeding grounds.

“We typically see the mosquito numbers start to ramp up in mid- to late April, peaking in late summer,” said Chris Conlan, supervising vector ecologist for the County of San Diego Vector Control Program.

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From KUSI
April 3, 2018

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) — With mosquito season near, County officials reminded people Tuesday that they need to dump out standing water and protect themselves from mosquitoes if they want to stay safe from illnesses like West Nile virus and Zika.

County Supervisor Greg Cox and Chris Conlan, a supervising vector ecologist with the County’s Vector Control Program, held the County’s annual mosquito-prevention kickoff event Tuesday afternoon at Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center in National City.

“The most important message we want to get out today,” Cox said, “is that you can help prevent these diseases. All you have to do to help fight mosquitoes and disease is follow the County’s ‘Prevent, Protect, Report’ mantra.

“Prevent mosquitoes from breeding,” Cox said, “by dumping out standing water inside and outside homes. Protect against mosquitoes by wearing insect repellent and proper clothing. And report mosquito activity and dead birds to County Vector Control.”

The County has held the annual mosquito prevention kickoff for nearly 15 years and reiterated its main messages Tuesday — that mosquitoes can breed in the smallest amounts of water.

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From EurekAlert!
April 2, 2018

A Zika vaccine could have a substantial effect on mitigating and preventing future Zika virus outbreaks. Through a combination of direct protection and indirect reduction of transmissions, virtual elimination is achievable, even with imperfect vaccine efficacy and coverage. The researcher is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Mosquito-borne and sexually transmitted Zika virus has become widespread across Central and South America, and the Caribbean. A viable vaccine is expected to be available in the next several years, but a vaccine’s effectiveness in preventing infections depends not only on its efficacy, but also on demographic and fertility patterns, local Zika attack rates, and the proportion of the population still susceptible when it becomes available.

Researchers from Yale School of Public Health developed a computer model to quantify the effect of a Zika vaccination strategy that prioritized females aged 9 to 49 years, followed by males aged 9 to 49 years. The model considered both vector-borne and sexual transmission, as well as country-specific mosquito density. The researchers found that a vaccine that was about 75 percent effective and covered about 90 percent of females aged 9 to 49 years would reduce the incidence of prenatal infections by at least 94 percent, depending on the country-specific Zika attack rate. They also found that in regions where an outbreak is not expected for at least 10 years, vaccination of women aged 15 to 29 years is more efficient than that of women aged 30 years or older.

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From Yale News
March 29, 2018

A Yale-led research team developed a new RNA therapy, delivered through the nose, to treat mice infected with West Nile Virus. The innovative approach reduced the virus in the brain, allowing the immune system to destroy the virus and develop long-term protection against West Nile Virus disease, the researchers said.

The findings, published in Cell Host & Microbe, may represent a breakthrough strategy for treating West Nile Virus after virus invasion of the brain and the central nervous system, noted senior author Priti Kumar, M.D., associate professor of infectious disease at Yale School of Medicine.    

There are no approved vaccines or effective therapies for West Nile Virus disease, a mosquito-borne condition. While many infected individuals have no symptoms, others — particularly the very young and older adults — can develop severe neurological problems and even die from the disease. The sporadic nature of the disease makes it exceedingly difficult for testing and implementing vaccines, said Kumar.

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From The Press-Telegram
March 29, 2018

It was 6 a.m. and the sun wasn’t due up for another hour. But vector ecologists Harold Morales and Steve Vetrone were already on the road.

The pair spend most of their days tracking and studying mosquitoes to tamp down the spread of deadly diseases, such as West Nile Virus. But last Tuesday, the pair headed to San Jacinto to snag a semi-secret, very scientific, virus-fighting weapon.

Chickens. Sentinel Chickens.

“These guys are out on duty every night,” said Susanne Kluh, the director of scientific-technical services for the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control. “I love our little guardians.”

For decades, vector-control agencies in California, responsible for fighting insidious disease-carrying pests and rodents, have relied on the domesticated fowl as a surveillance tool to predict when human cases of West Nile Virus and St. Louis Encephalitis are likely to occur.

They are, in a way, the perfect canary in the coal mine for such a task: They sit in coops throughout Southern California 24 hours a day, seven days a week, waiting to get bit. And unlike canaries, the first to die in the mines, chickens don’t get sick from the diseases they contract. Rather, they form antibodies that allow vector control to test their blood.

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From The Escalon Times
March 28, 2018

San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District is responding to the surge of recent storms and predicted warm temperatures.

“District mosquito control personnel will be increasing surveillance and mosquito control activities on public and private land,” said Aaron Devencenzi, Public Information Officer with the District. “Early mosquito population suppression is critical to reducing the risk of mosquito-borne disease later in the year.”

People can help by doing simple actions like removing standing water from outdoor buckets and containers along with repairing leaking faucets and broken sprinklers to reduce mosquito development. Properly dispose of old tires or keep them in a dry area. Often forgotten, rain gutters clogged with leaves hold water and need to be cleaned, said officials. If you or your neighbor has a neglected swimming pool, call the District for mosquito prevention help.

The District’s mosquito control activities include: making recommendations to property owners on methods to reduce mosquito breeding conditions; educating the public on mosquito prevention techniques, including the use of repellents; introducing mosquitofish to ponds, ditches, and other aquatic sites; and spraying areas where mosquitoes are found.

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From Healio
March 28, 2018

Neurologic and ocular birth defects occur in 7% of offspring of mothers located in French territories of the Americas who have lab-confirmed Zika virus infection, according to research published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Additionally, defects were most likely to occur if the mother was infected with Zika in the first trimester of pregnancy.

“It has been recognized recently that Zika virus infection (ZIKV) during pregnancy can cause severe birth defects, including microcephaly, other brain defects and congenital Zika syndrome,” Bruno Hoen, MD, PhD, from the INSERM Centre d’Investigation Clinique 1424, and colleagues wrote. “However, the magnitude of this risk is not clearly defined. It was estimated to be higher than 40% in a prospective observational study in Brazil involving women who had symptomatic ZIKV infection during pregnancy.”

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From Action News Now
March 28, 2018

From The Manteca Bulletin
March 27, 2018

Extensive March rains and temperatures climbing to 80 degrees by Saturday means things can really “bite” in the coming weeks.
San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District is warning that it’s the perfect combination to unleash mosquitoes in greater numbers than have been seen in years for spring.

“District mosquito control personnel will be increasing surveillance and mosquito control activities on public and private land,” said Aaron Devencenzi, Public Information Officer with the District. “Early mosquito population suppression is critical to reducing the risk of mosquito-borne disease later in the year.”

People can help by doing simple actions like removing standing water from outdoor buckets and containers along with repairing leaking faucets and broken sprinklers to reduce mosquito development. Properly dispose of old tires or keep them in a dry area. 

Read more

From Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
March 27, 2018

People infected with West Nile virus can show a wide range of disease. Some develop life-threatening brain infections. Others show no signs of infection at all. One reason for the different outcomes may lie in the community of microbes that populate their intestinal tracts.

A study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that mice are more susceptible to severe West Nile disease if they have recently taken antibiotics that change the make-up of their gut bacterial community.

“The immune system is activated differently if the gut does not have a healthy microbiome,” said senior author Michael S. Diamond, MD, PhD, the Herbert S. Gasser Professor of Medicine. “If someone is sick with a bacterial infection, they absolutely should take antibiotics. But it is important to remember that there may be collateral effects. You might be affecting your immune response to certain viral infections.”

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From CBS 19
March 26, 2018

Mosquito season has started in East Texas, and experts said it will last through November. With two cases of Zika in Texas, it’s never too early to prep your homes.

Russell Hopkins with Net Health in Tyler said mosquitos carry a lot of baggage.

“We have equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, we have Zika, we have West Nile,” Hopkins said. “It doesn’t really matter which species carries what disease, because we have all the mosquito species here.”

Hopkins said to keep an eye on West Nile, because every East Texas county will see a few cases yearly.

Good news. It’s simple to stop the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses. The best thing to do is clean gutters and remove any standing water.

A capful of water is all it takes for mosquitos to breed.

The key is to make sure nothing is laying around your yard that will fill up, even if you think it’s small.

“The water will dry up. The eggs can lay dormant for up to a year and then hatch after the next rain,” Hopkins said.

Dennis Newberry with Alpha Pest Control said the season is just starting in Texas.

He spends a lot of time spraying homes between March and November.

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From Homeland Security Today
March 20, 2018

Unmanned aerial vehicles are being used to recognize outbreaks of mosquitoes transmitting Dengue and Zika in Brazil, according to Drone Below.

Loglab and Cuiabá Municipal Government have formed a partnership to use drone to map and monitor mosquito larvae in Mato Grosso. Loglab founder, Fernando Pereira, says: “The drone identifies and marks mosquito-focused sites via geographic points, and that data is passed on to ground crews that can increase the effectiveness of their work.”

UAVs will fly over districts considered the worst for mosquito proliferation, and maps will be generated to serve as a guide for the Preventive Action Committee. The use of drones for mapping and monitoring mosquito larvae is part of an Integrated Health System project, which Loglab is developing for the Municipal Health Secretary.

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From Vectorborne Disease Section – California Department of Public Health
March 19, 2018

Over a year ago, the Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) was given a new common name: California Scrub-Jay. In CalSurv Gateway, the Western Scrub-Jay is now listed as the California Scrub-Jay. All previous records of the Western Scrub-Jay are unaffected and will be found under California Scrub-Jay.

Due to differences in range and coloration, the Audubon Ornithological Society split the Western Scrub-Jay into two species: California Scrub-Jay and Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma woodhouseii) (also added to CalSurv). In general, Woodhouse’s has less intense coloration than the familiar California Scrub-Jay. Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jays are mainly found in Nevada and the “four corners” states. But Woodhouse’s can be found in Mono, Inyo, and eastern San Bernardino counties, and a few agencies in these counties may find Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay.    

You can see a comparison of the two species here:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/California_Scrub-Jay/species-compare/70581631

(You may also want to review the Pinyon Jay: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pinyon_Jay/)

In summary, our popular jay is now the “California Scrub-Jay.” But if you are in Mono, Inyo, or eastern San Bernardino counties, the jays you encounter may be Woodhouse’s Jays. (Or possibly Pinyon Jays). The Cornell Lab of Ornithology website is one of the best resources to help identify birds.

From The Guardian
March 18, 2018

Somewhere out there a dangerous virus is boiling up in the bloodstream of a bird, bat, monkey or pig, preparing to jump to a human being. It’s hard to comprehend the scope of such a threat, for it has the potential to wipe out millions of us, including my family and yours, over a matter of weeks or months. The risk makes the threat posed by Islamic State, a ground war, a massive climate event or even the dropping of a nuclear bomb on a major city pale by comparison.

A new epidemic could turn into a pandemic without warning. It could be born in a factory farm in Minnesota, a poultry farm in China or the bat-inhabited elephant caves of Kenya – anywhere infected animals are in contact with humans. It could be a variation of the 1918 Spanish flu, one of hundreds of other known microbial threats or something entirely new, such as the 2003 Sars virus that spread globally from China. Once transmitted to a human, an airborne virus could pass from that one infected individual to 25,000 others within a week, and to more than 700,000 within the first month. Within three months, it could spread to every major urban centre in the world. And by six months, it could infect more than 300 million people and kill more than 30 million.

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From The Orlando Sentinel

March 16, 2018

If you’re planning to travel to Brazil, especially to popular tourist destinations like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, you should get vaccinated for yellow fever before you go, federal health officials warned on Friday.

“Travelers should not go to these hot spots unless they’re vaccinated,” said Dr. Marty Cetron, Director of Division of Global Migration and Quarantine at CDC, on Friday during a press call.

Since January, 10 travelers to Brazil have been diagnosed with yellow fever, four of whom have died. None were vaccinated, according to a report published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

“This is highly unusual,” said Cetron.

Officials said they couldn’t quantify the risk of an outbreak in the United States, but they said the odds are very slim, even cities in like Orlando, which has a large Brazilian population and its airport is a major hub for flights from Brazil.

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From R & D Magazine
March 16, 2018

Spurred on by climate change, international travel and international trade, disease-bearing insects are spreading to ever-wider parts of the world.

This means that more humans are exposed to viral infections such as Dengue fever, Chikungunya, Zika, West Nile fever, Yellow fever and Tick-borne encephalitis.

For many of these diseases, there are as yet no specific antiviral agents or vaccines.

Global warming has allowed mosquitoes, ticks and other disease-bearing insects to proliferate, adapt to different seasons, migrate and spread to new niche areas that have become warmer.

These are the findings of a JRC report that aims to raise awareness about the threat posed by the spread of arboviruses (arthropod-borne viruses).

The growing spread of arboviruses

Aedes mosquitoes spread several arboviruses, including Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika, West Nile and Yellow fever viruses.

These mosquitoes thrive in urban settings due to the lack of natural predators and the ready availability of food and habitats in which to procreate.

They have existed in Africa and Asia for many years and are now becoming more and more widespread.

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From Healio
March 15, 2018

In the absence of mediation or a vaccine to treat Zika virus infections in endemic areas, the best advice is to prevent infection by avoiding mosquito bites, eliminating areas where mosquitos breed, enhancing mosquito control and using precaution to prevent sexual transmission between humans. Other known routes of infection include blood transfusion or organ transplantation. Most worrisome is transplacental transmission during pregnancy from an infected mother to her unborn infant.

Zika is just the most recent example of the difficulties encountered when trying to control a new infectious disease when it suddenly emerges. We have seen this with other novel infectious diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, Middle East respiratory syndrome, Ebola virus, enterovirus D-68, West Nile virus and the 2009 pandemic influenza.

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From The Mercury News
March 12, 2018

DEAR JOAN: I grew a pussy willow tree from a stalk I got at Safeway maybe three years ago. It is nearly finished with its catkins for this season, but there have been little swarms of tiny golden bees around them. Would you know what they are?

Jayne, Bay Area

DEAR JAYNE: They probably are native bees, but I can’t tell you exactly what type without seeing the bee. Actually, I probably couldn’t tell you even after seeing the bee — there are more than 1,000 species of native bees, and they come in a variety of sizes, so it would take a bee expert to identify the species.

It’s a little too early for honeybees, but the native bees are out. I’m not surprised the pussy willow has been covered with them. It is a great plant for bees, as it provides nectar at time when not too many other plants are blooming.

My guess is that the bees on your plant are mining or sand bees (Andrena). There are about 100 different species of this bee, and they are responsible for a lot of pollination of crops and plants. This species also provides pollination for both early and late-blooming plants.

There’s no need to worry about them. Most of the aggression we see in honeybees stems from their determination to protect the hive, but native bees don’t live in hives and are much more mellow. Enjoy the show while it lasts.

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From ValleyCentral.com
March 11, 2018

With spring break beginning, that means more people will be making their way to the Rio Grande Valley, specifically South Padre Island.

The area’s warm and humid climate make it a good breeding ground for mosquitoes.

According to the Texas Health Department, the Valley is the only part of Texas to have locally acquired Zika cases.

Just last year, there was a total of three locally acquired Zika cases. One of those was in Laguna Heights, just miles away South Padre Island.

“There are diseases that are there and although cities are working hard to protect people with mosquitoes, it’s something that every person should work on their own to protect their families,” said Public Health Regional Medical Director Dr. Emilie Prot.

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From The Kansas City Star
March 10, 2018

Van McLain, guitarist for Shooting Star, a Kansas City rock band that rose to prominence in the 1980s, died last week. He was 62.

News of McLain’s passing was posted on the band’s Facebook page. Services were held for McLain in Overland Park on Saturday afternoon.

“It is with a very broken heart that I announce the passing of one of my all-time favorite people Van McLain,” read a message from band spokesman Randy Raley. “I love him like a brother and I will miss him desperately. Van has been sick a long time, and I’m glad he’s finally free.”

McLain, who was born Van Allen McElvain, died of complications from West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne illness that he had battled in recent years. Online fundraisers described McLain’s need for nursing and therapy.

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From The Guardian
March, 9, 2018

Scientists in the UK have started work on developing a vaccine to protect women against the Zika virus.

The £4.7m project, involving the universities of Manchester and Liverpool, and Public Health England, aims to have trials on humans up and running within the next three years.

The news comes two and a half years after the Zika virus, which can lead to foetal abnormalities, began to appear in Brazil.

When cases of babies born with abnormally small heads were first reported in late 2015, Brazilians were frightened and bewildered. Few had heard of the rare birth defect microcephaly, or were aware that it restricts growth of the skull and can cause learning, cognitive and motor difficulties. Nor did scientists know why cases were concentrated in Brazil’s impoverished, dry north-east. Two and a half years later, they still don’t.

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From U.S. News
March 8, 2018

From KrisTV.com
March 7, 2018

The return of warm weather in Texas means more time outdoors with family and friends.

Warm weather also means the return of mosquitoes, including mosquitoes that could carry the Zika virus.

The Texas Department of State Health Services says whether you’re planning a backyard picnic or spring break vacation, the first step to prevent the spread of Zika is preventing mosquito bites.

According to DSHS, it’s important to wear EPA-approved insect repellent and use screens on doors and windows to protect yourself and your loved ones from the Zika virus.

DSHS says people should take these simple steps to protect themselves from mosquitoes that could be carrying the Zika virus:

• Wear EPA-approved insect repellent.
• Wear light-weight, long-sleeve shirts and pants.
• Use screens on your windows and doors.
• Use mosquito nets to protect babies younger than two months.
• Remove standing water in and around your home.
• Cover trash cans or containers where water can collect.

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