News Briefs
September 18, 2015
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
MVCAC Fall Board Meeting Items for Review
Dear MVCAC Corporate Members,
 
Prior to the Fall MVCAC Board of Directors Meeting on October 29, 2015, we are looking for your input on two different items:
  1. The first item is an updated MVCAC Policy Manual: Edits suggested for the MVCAC Policy Manual were made during the Board's annual review.  These edits reflect processes in place with the current management company and advocacy representative.
  2. The second item is a recommendation from the MVCAC Finance Committee: The Finance Committee is recommending to the Board that their committee be disbanded.
To view and review these documents, please  click here.  
 
Please provide any comments or questions to Kim Andosca:  kandosca@amgroup.us  by September 22nd, 2015.
 
Thank you!

MVCAC Fall Meeting
October 29 and 30 th, 2015
(Trustee session on October 28th in the afternoon)
Embassy Suites San Diego
601 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92101

 
Rooms:
Click here to book a room
or call 619-239-2400
Rate $142, this rate is "prevailing federal per diem" and subject to change.
Note: The hotel is filling up quickly so make your reservations today!

Click here to view the meeting schedule

Parking:
$35 reduced valet parking for Fall meeting attendees.

For more information about this meeting, please click here
 
**Please note: This is the first meeting to use the new policy of a first night's deposit taken at time of reservation as well.

2015 William C. Reeves New Investigator Award Application Now Open
Applications for the statewide William C. Reeves New Investigator Award will be accepted through  Tuesday, December 1, 2015.

The William C. Reeves New Investigator Award, memorializing Dr. William C. Reeves, who was a renowned University of California entomologist, is sponsored by the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California (MVCAC). The award is presented to the best scientific paper submitted and presented at the annual MVCAC conference.

Please  click here for more information.
The Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California (MVCAC) will hold its 84th Annual Conference on February 28-March 2, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento. You are invited to submit a paper or poster for presentation at the conference.

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 paper or poster, please  click here for more information.

Call for Photos: This Year in Mosquito Control
MVCAC needs your district photos!

We're looking for MVCAC member districts to submit 1-5 pictures that exemplify something that you've done as part of your 2015 mosquito control efforts. This could be surveillance, control, outreach, media interviews, etc. Please supply a brief caption with each photo you submit.  

Photos will be put together in a MVCAC Legislative Day slide show to give legislators a picture of mosquito control. If every agency submits just one photo we will have over 60 slides!

Please send your photo(s) to Sarah Spencer:

MVCAC 2016 Annual Conference
February 28th - March 2nd , 2016
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

For more information about this meeting, please click here
Why climate change means more huge mosquito swarms in the Arctic
Global warming is already underway, taking a toll on the  Arctic sea ice and various wildlife populations such as the polar bears, but mosquitoes are thriving.

As temperatures warm in the Arctic, mosquitoes are not only able to emerge earlier from their ponds, but also to grow faster and survive even longer - and in higher numbers,  according to a new study.  

Read more
West Nile virus in the US: 708 cases, 29 deaths
The number of West Nile virus cases in the United States has reached the 700 mark for the year to date, with approximately 1/3 of cases being reported from two states-California (123) and Texas (105).

Officially, as of Tuesday, a total of 46 states and the District of Columbia have reported West Nile virus infections in people, birds, or mosquitoes in 2015.

Overall, 708 cases of West Nile virus (WNV) disease in people have been reported to CDC. Of these, 422 (60%) were classified as neuroinvasive disease (such as meningitis or encephalitis) and 286 (40%) were classified as non-neuroinvasive disease.

29 deaths have been attributed to infection with WNV (Texas has recorded 6, the most in the nation).

Read more
For a female mosquito, the wrong guy can mean no babies
Satyrization

A process in which animals mate across species, preventing females from reproducing.

For the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti, choosing the wrong mate can be a real buzzkill. Female A. aegypti mosquitoes can mistake male Asian tiger mosquitoes, Aedes albopictus, for eligible bachelors. But if a female yellow fever mosquito mates with an Asian tiger male, it could spoil a chance at motherhood.

Read more
CONCORD, CALIFORNIA - -  The Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District confirmed today that six sentinel chickens from two locations in Contra Costa County have tested positive for West Nile virus. One chicken was located at Holland Tract and five others in Oakley. Fogging for adult mosquitoes is scheduled to take place in Oakley on Thursday evening. 
 
"The District's Sentinel Chicken Program is an important way to identify areas at risk of West Nile virus because the chickens provide proof that the virus is active in a particular area,"  said Steve Schutz, Ph.D., scientific program manager for the District. " In this case, we plan to be out after  sunset tomorrow -when mosquitoes are active-  to control adult  mosquitoes  where the chickens confirmed recent virus activity."

Read more
West Nile Virus Dead Bird Testing and Hotline

West Nile virus dead bird testing and the WNV Dead Bird Hotline began on April 15, 2015. 

 

Live calls are being answered (1-877-WNV-BIRD) and online reports are being responded to (www.westnile.ca.gov). 

 

Agencies can bypass the message options by calling the agency line at (510-412-4601). This will connect you to the hotline operators. If you need to enter a dead bird report and obtain a dead bird number, please use the Gateway.