News Briefs | June 1, 2022
Upcoming Events
Save the Date!
MVCAC Summer Meeting
July 28th | 9am - 12pm
Via Zoom
 
More information to come!
Save the Date!
MVCAC Fall Meeting
November 1-3 (meeting 11/2-11/3)
Visalia Marriott
 
More information to come!
Save the Date!
MVCAC Planning Meeting
December 5-7 (meeting 12/6-12/7)
Oakland Waterfront Hotel
 
More information to come!
Save the Date!
91st Annual MVCAC Conference
Sunday, January 29 – Wednesday, February 1, 2023
Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim
 
More information to come!
The Future of MVCAC's Meetings
If you attended the 2022 Spring meeting a few weeks ago, please take the time to fill in this survey. This will help us shape what meetings look like for the future.
 
Meritorious Service Award, Honorary Member Award and Service with Distinction Award Nominations Now Open
It's Nomination time! Nominations are now open for MVCAC's Meritorious Service Award, Honorary Member Award and the Service with Distinction Award. All nominations must be received in the MVCAC office by September 12th so they may be included on the ballot to all the member districts, or adequate ad hoc committees may be appointed (for Service with Distinction).
 
Award Criteria:
  • Honorary Membership- for any person who has rendered exceptional, distinguished service in the interest of mosquito or vector control in the state of California
  • Meritorious Service- for any member or nonmember who have made special and significant contributions to the field of mosquito control in the State of California or elsewhere
  • Service with Distinction- may be conferred on those who have made a significant contribution to fulfilling the mission of the Association. They must meet the following criteria: Made exceptional professional or voluntary service in support of the advancement and continued excellence of the Association; have earned national or international distinction for their services in the subject of mosquito and vector control; have made a significant contribution to any local community within the jurisdiction of their agency and focused on mosquito and vector control.

Honorary and Meritorious Service requires 5 letters from district managers in support of their nomination.
Service with Distinction nominations can come from any MVCAC member
 
For all award nominations, a list of the individuals qualifying accomplishments and achievements must also be received with the nomination letter.
 
Please submit nominations via email to mvcac@mvcac.org or fax at 916-444-7462 attn: Award Nominations. Ballots for Honorary and Meritorious Service will be sent out after September 14th, with a due date before the Fall meeting in November.
 
Please do not hesitate to contact the MVCAC office if you have any questions!
MVCAC Corporate Member Fiscal Status Report Submission for 2022-23 Dues
It’s that time of year again! Please fill out and email or fax back this year’s MVCAC Fiscal Status Report Form for your district’s MVCAC dues to be calculated.

Dues for Corporate Members are due on July 1st of each year for the fiscal year ending June 30th of the following year. Unpaid dues will be considered late on September 1st. After September 1st, a late notice will be sent which will include a $50 late payment fee. Corporate members that do not pay their dues and late fee by October 31st will be dropped from the membership rolls.

Please feel free to contact the office if you have any questions. Thank you for supporting MVCAC!
Prevalence of filarial parasites in field-caught mosquitoes in northwestern California
Posted by Vector and Vector-borne Disease Committee
May 26, 2022
Tiffany D. Tran,1 Brittany M. Nelms,2 Michelle L. Koschik,2 Jamesina J. Scott,2 Tara Thiemann1
1University of the Pacific, Biological Sciences, Stockton, CA 95211, U.S.A.
2Lake County Vector Control District, 410 Esplanade St., Lakeport, CA 95453, U.S.A.

Abstract [paraphrased]. Mosquitoes collected in Lake County, CA, in 2014 were tested for filarial parasite DNA using standard PCR. Filarial parasites were detected in 23 out of 1,008 total pools. Dirofilaria immitis, dog heartworm, was detected in Aedes increpitus (MIR=4.62), Aedes sierrensis (MIR=6.72), Anopheles freeborni (MIR=1.08), and Culex tarsalis (MIR=0.10). Setaria yehi, deer body worm, was detected in Ae. sierrensis (MIR=13.42), Anopheles franciscanus (MIR=0.55), An. freeborni (MIR=2.69), and Culex stigmatosoma (MIR=0.41). The avian parasite Splendidofilaria could not be identified to species but was detected in Cx. tarsalis (MIR=0.20). DNA was also detected for three unidentified filarial parasites in Culex.

Comment: This research confirms that Aedes sierrensis is an important vector of dog heartworm, but indicates that previous studies using dissection techniques most likely over estimated infection rates that were confounded because of frequent infection with deer body worm. Further research is needed to elucidate the vector competence of these naturally infected species.

mRNA vaccination induces tick resistance and prevents transmission of the Lyme disease agent
Posted by Vector and Vector-borne Disease Committee
May 26, 2022

ANDALEEB SAJID [HTTPS://ORCID.ORG/0000-0001-6248-4985], AQUELINE MATIAS, GUNJAN ARORA, CHEYNE KUROKAWA, KATHLEEN DEPONT, EXIAOTIAN TANG, et al. 
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE [17 Nov 21], Vol 13 [620], <DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abj9827>

Summary [Journal]. Repeated exposures to the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis, can lead to acquired resistance against ticks or “tick immunity.” To generate tick resistance, the authors developed an mRNA vaccine that encoded for 19 I. scapularis salivary proteins (19ISP). Guinea pigs vaccinated with 19ISP developed erythema at the site of tick attachment, a feature of acquired tick resistance. This led to poor tick feeding and, in the case of ticks infected with the Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, reduced transmission of the pathogen. Thus, 19ISP is a promising candidate for antitick vaccines that may also prevent transmission of tick-borne spirochetes.

Comment: The relatively long attachment of ticks on the host during feeding have made them a frequent target for accine development. In the 1990s, anti-tick vaccines were developed and marketed in Australia against cattle ticks [See A.E. Tabor. 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fvaccines9091030], but problems with dosing led to disuse. No anti-tick vaccines have been approved for humans.    

Share Your Post COVID-19 Exposure Methods With Us
MVCAC is looking for member districts to share with us their post COVID exposure methods and logistics. Please email the methods you have in place to mvcac@mvcac.org and we will add them to the COVID-19 page on the MVCAC website.

Thank you!
MVCAC Member Resources Re: COVID-19
MVCAC will be assembling and posting some information and templates of what some Districts have created and shared as they manage their operations. Items like sample document for field staff to carry in addition to their ID to validate status/purpose and actions related to seasonal hires. It will be posted as it becomes available to a new members-only page on the MVCAC website.

Click the button below to login and view.
In 2021, San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District unveiled a new interactive educational experience titled, “Journey of the Germ.” The project was funded through the Entomological Society of America’s Chrysalis Grant, “to bring students closer to the backyard intersection of entomology and virology.”

As the interactive experience begins, a narrative serves as both foundation and guide through the storylines to instill a message that motivates the students who participate in the storylines to learn and develop solutions. The narration takes the students through the pathway West Nile virus follows as it cycles through the suburban Southern California landscape.
Submit your district for the next Spotlight On
Does your agency have a success story, a staff member you would like to publicly recognize, or an innovation by your agency that you would like to highlight? "Spotlight On" on the MVCAC website is one way to share your story! Each submission which meets the specified criteria will be reviewed and posted on the MVCAC website on the Spotlight On page and highlighted on the homepage in the rotating feature box. Each story will remain posted for 1-2 months before being moved to a publicly archived page. 

Interested? Click here to fill out an application!

Applications can be submitted to the MVCAC office at mvcac@mvcac.org
HR resources for districts to use and to upload information into
District Managers - Please upload your HR resources and information into this Google Drive along with using it for your own district.

Click here to access the Google Drive.
News Headlines
MVCAC News Briefs - Zika Updates
Please note: The items contained below are not the views or opinions of MVCAC but they are what is being reported in the media. The goal of MVCAC providing this information is to keep MVCAC members informed of all news articles that are being presented regarding Zika.



MVCAC News Briefs - Other Outbreaks
Please note: The items contained below are not the views or opinions of MVCAC but they are what is being reported in the media. The goal of MVCAC providing this information is to keep MVCAC members informed of all news articles that are being presented regarding other outbreaks.



May 31, 2022: West Nile Virus detected in Davis - Fox 40


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
MVCAC Jobs Board
Interested in a career in mosquito and vector control? Check out the MVCAC Jobs 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) may be submitted by MVCAC members via this web form (Note: you will need to login to access this form). Non-Members are asked to submit listings to the webmaster at mvcac@mvcac.org.
MVCAC Sustaining Member Corner
Note: MVCAC does not endorse the products below, but we do support our Sustaining Members

Central Life Sciences has announced the release of Aqua Zenivex™ E20, a reduced-risk adulticide for mosquito control professionals.