News Briefs
January 29th, 2016
IN THIS ISSUE...

Jobs

Interested in a career in mosquito and vector control? Check out the MVCAC Job Board at www.mvcac.org

 

Have a Job or RFP to post to MVCAC.org?  

Requests to post job listings (no more than 500 words in length) should be submitted to the webmaster at kandosca@amgroup.us.

 
Do you have important news to share about your district or mosquito and vector issues?

If you would like your news to be included in the MVCAC News Briefs, please send press releases and/or links to relevant news articles to mvcac@mvcac.org
Mailing Address:
1 Capitol Mall
Suite 800
Sacramento, CA 95814
84th Annual Conference Call for Posters
Submissions due February 15th!
We are re-opening the call for posters for the upcoming  84th Annual MVCAC Conference on February 28-March 2, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento!

This presentation should be related to mosquitoes or other vectors, the disease organisms they transmit, or their surveillance and control. Presentations may be of research results, the development and testing of new methods, equipment or products, education, community outreach and the adaptation or development of new technology relating to vector research, surveillance or control.

If you are interested in presenting a poster, please  click here for more information.

MVCAC 2016 Annual Conference
February 28th - March 2nd , 2016
Hyatt Regency Sacramento
1209 L Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
 
Rooms:
  • Single/Double Occupancy- $140 per night
  • Triple Occupancy- $165
  • Quadruple Occupancy- $190
  • Room Rate Cut-off: February 5, 2016 (that is 1 WEEK from TODAY)

Updates to the schedule, click here

Click here for the MVCAC Conference SuperShuttle transportation discount code!

Online registration is now open!  Click the "register" button below to register today!
New Members-Only Area on MVCAC.org
Dear MVCAC Member,
 
We have been working behind-the-scenes to try and remedy some issues with our current MVCAC website and the members-only content areas.  Although, the site will be getting an upgraded look and feel in the coming months, we wanted to make sure that members-only content was both easy for members to access and secure.
 
If you visit MVCAC.org and hover over the new login tab, you will see two login option s:
  1. MVCAC Website Login
  2. Member Services Portal
 
The MVCAC Website Login will require you to set up a user ID to access for the first time and will grant you access to all public and member-only content in one place.
To create a login for this area:
  1. Go to mvcac.org
  2. Click the login tab on the homepage menu bar.  This will bring you to the site login page: http://www.mvcac.org/site-login/
  3.  Scroll down to the "New User Registration" section of the page and fill out the requested information
  4. Once you have registered, MVCAC staff will need to verify your membership before granting access.  Please allow 1-2 business days for staff to process your request.
  5. Once your request is approved, the email you provided will be sent a temporary password allowing you to login.
  6. Copy and paste the password provided in that email into the MVCAC Website Login screen with the username you chose.
 
The Member Services Portal is the login area you are used to, this will continue to be used to register for events and pay dues online.  This will no longer be the area to access members-only content.
 
Of course, if you have any questions about the new login process feel free to contact MVCAC staff and we will be happy to assist you.
 
Thank you,
The MVCAC Staff
NPDES Notification for 2016
In accordance with our NPDES permit, agencies are required to send out notifications to affected agencies prior to any pesticide applications.  In the past, we included a list of pesticides in the permit.  With the potential changes to the permit in March (effective July), the list will no longer be valid.  Instead, a list of active ingredients will be the norm. The NPDES committee put together a revised notification that people can use as a template that incorporates this new change.  This notification should also be posted on your website if you have one.   If you have any questions, please contact your regional NPDES committee member.

The NPDES committee is providing an annual report template (see below).  This template is similar to ones done in the past.  Submission for the annual report is March 1st, 2016.  


An annual report template will be linked on this page of the website soon!

**Please note: you will need to have and/or create a new MVCAC members-only login to access this content.  Please see the instructions included in these News Briefs for more information.
2016 Sentinel Chicken Order Forms Available Now!
Please click here to download the 2016 Chicken Order Form.  

Chickens are being supplied by Haley Farms in Modesto for Northern California and by Demler Egg Ranch for Southern California.  

The form due dates and chicken pick-up dates are as follows:
Southern: Please return form by April 4, 2016
Southern Region: (Demler)
Pick-up date: May 4th, 2016 (8 a.m.) in San Jacinto
 
Northern: Please return form by March 21, 2016
Northern Region: (Haley's)
Pick-up date:  April 21st, 2016 (time TBD) in Modesto

Please fax, email, or mail order forms to:
MVCAC
1 Capitol Mall, Suite 800
Sacramento, CA 95814
P: 916-440-0826  F: 916-444-7462

MVCAC 2016 Legislative Day
April 6th, 2016
Residence Inn Sacramento
1121 15th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

Hotel Booking Information:
Start date: 4/5/16
End date: 4/6/16
Last day to book: 3/16/16
Group rate: $129.00 USD per night
 
More information to come, stay tuned!
As Zika concerns mount, airlines and cruise ship companies offer refunds to pregnant women
Four major U.S. airlines have announced that they will allow some customers to change or cancel flights to countries where the Zika is active, a move that reflects the growing worries about the impact of the virus.

American Airlines said pregnant women and their companions would be allowed to request a full refund if they have a doctor's note.

Pregnant Woman in NYC Is One of 31 Infected With Zika Virus in US
At least 31 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with the Zika virus in 11 states, including a pregnant woman in New York City, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Two other pregnant women were diagnosed with the disease in Illinois earlier this month.

Health officials noted that all those infected likely contracted the disease outside of the U.S. There is no current transmission of the virus in the country.

Zika Fact Sheet
Click here to view the "Zika Fact Sheet" from CDPH.
WHO Warns Of Zika Virus's 'Alarming' And 'Explosive' Spread
In her first major address on the Zika outbreak, the head of the World Health Organization, Dr. Margaret Chan, said the mosquito-borne virus has gone from being "a mild threat to one of alarming proportions." Chan spoke Thursday in Geneva.

The apparent link between Zika and severe birth defects in children in Brazil still hasn't been definitively proven but Chan says the threat is so high that she's calling for an emergency committee to advise her on "the appropriate level of international concern and for recommended measures that should be undertaken in affected countries and elsewhere."  There's no vaccine or treatment for Zika. Chan says eliminating mosquito breeding grounds is one of the most important defenses against the disease.