News Briefs | January 11, 2023

In honor of the holiday, our office will be closed on 1/16/23, reopening on 1/17/23.

January 29 – February 1, 2023


Click here to view the full conference program.

Click here to login and view the 2/1/23 Board Meeting packet


Hotel Information:

Please note the hotel room block for this event has closed.


Exhibitor/Sponsor Information:

Click here to download the Exhibitor Prospectus

PRE-REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED, BUT YOU CAN STILL REGISTER ON-SITE!
MVCAC Annual Outrunning Mosquitoes 5k Fun Run/Walk 

Sunday January 29, 2023 | 2 PM | Start at Disneyland® Hotel, Anaheim CA 


Join us for our annual Outrunning Mosquitoes 5 K, this year around the Disneyland® area! Family members welcome (must be signed up) and costumes encouraged! Adult entry fee includes a race shirt, drink ticket at the opening reception and coveted awards for various categories! Children will receive a souvenir.


Click here to register online now

Click here to use the paper registration form

2023 MVCAC Conference Trustee Session announced!*

Sunday January 29, 2023

10:00 AM-4:00 PM (Lunch included)

Join MVCAC for a trustee session to start the 2023 MVCAC Annual Conference!

It is the goal of MVCAC and its member agencies to provide Trustees with a “value-added” experience while at Conference. The Trustee-only sessions are specifically designed to provide you with the information you need to know to help you become an exceptional member of your Board of Trustees. During the trustee session you will learn the best management practices of boards and gain some field experience, as staff take you out for some interactive site visits. The lessons learned and the topics presented during this session will make you the star of your Board.


Morning 10:00 to Noon

Session I:

Trustee Role in Vector Control – How to make the most of your time serving.

The session will begin with an informative and interactive educational presentation that will cover topics specific to mosquito and vector control agencies including laws and regulations, the unique characteristics of special districts in general, and a discussion on governance and the role Trustees play in the day-to-day operations within their agency.


Session II:

Vector 101 – An introductory look at what you need to know.

Join professional laboratory staff in this fascinating look at vectors, and what you need to know as a Trustee representing your jurisdiction. Biology and science can be intimidating, but this session will provide a fun and educational look at the science behind what happens daily in vector control districts. The session will give you a better understanding of vectors and vector control and the tools necessary to make more informed decisions.


BREAK/LUNCH: NOON – 1:00 PM

Join your fellow Trustees with an interesting lunch-time discussion with Steve Shepherd, Director of Operations at OCMVCD. Steve spent 20 years as the IPM Manager at the Disneyland® Resort. Steve will regale you with some Disney stories, anecdotes, and his many adventures while managing pests at the Resort. This is a lunch you don’t want to miss!


Afternoon 1:00-4:00

Join us as we tour some of Orange County’s most famous locations, from Newport Beach’s Back Bay to Huntington Beach’s Bolsa Chica Nature Reserve and stops in-between. This tour will highlight some of the innovative tools used in the fight against mosquitoes, (including a live drone demonstration). These field visits will give you a look at some of the mosquito breeding hot spots that OC Vector staff control on a regular basis. 


While this tour is of Orange County, vector control districts all face similar challenges and the site visits are intended to provide a general look at what district’s encounter on a regular basis.


This tour will require some walking. It is recommended that participants wear good walking shoes, long pants, and have a hat and sunglasses.


*In the event of inclement weather, the tour may be limited or curtailed. 

2023 MVCAC Conference Plenary Session Announced!

Join us on Monday morning January 30th to kick off the 91st Annual MVCAC Conference with two dynamic Plenary speakers!

Bill Donahue, Ph.D

President/Laboratory Director

Sierra Research Laboratories, Inc.

Speaking on: A Sterile Insect Technique Success Story: The History of the Primary Screw Worm Fly and the Cattle Industry


Dr. Bill Donahue received his B.A. in Biological Science from San Jose State University and his Ph.D. in Entomology from Texas A&M University. He started working for Zoëcon Corporation in Palo Alto, CA, the inventors of insect growth regulators and continued to work for Zoëcon in Dallas, TX developing novel types of insect control products based on insect physiology and biochemistry. Bill is now the Sr. Scientist and owner of Sierra Research Laboratories (SRL) in Modesto, California. SRL is an independent contract research laboratory specializing in testing new chemicals and devises for pest control in the fields of horticultural, medical, urban and veterinary entomology. Bill’s career has spanned 43 years and even though “retired” continues to be active in the field of entomology.

Dr. Anthony A James PhD

Donald Bren and Distinguished Professor

Depts of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics and Molecular Biology & Biochemistry

University of California, Irvine

Speaking on: Genetic approaches to controlling mosquitoes and mosquito-borne pathogens


Dr. Anthony A. James PhD, FAAAS, FAAM, FASTMH, FESA, FRES, is Donald Bren and Distinguished Professor of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics (School of Medicine) and Molecular Biology & Biochemistry (School of Biological Sciences) at the University of California, Irvine. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences USA. His research group uses genetics as the basis for synthetic approaches to prevent transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. Contributions include the development of mosquito transgenesis procedures, engineered genes that interfere with malaria parasite or dengue virus development in mosquitoes, a population-suppression strain based on flightless female mosquitoes and gene-drive systems to spread beneficial genes quickly through mosquito populations. 

Plenary Session Title: Autocidal approaches for suppressing populations of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus in California


Stephen Dobson, Ph.D, MosquitoMate, Inc.

 

Dr. Dobson is a Professor at the University of Kentucky, Department of Entomology and CEO of MosquitoMate, Inc., and a key focus of his work relates to developing novel tools to control medically important mosquitoes. Following receipt of his bachelor’s degree in Entomology from Clemson University, he served as a volunteer teacher in American Samoa, where he witnessed first-hand the effects of mosquito borne pathogens. Stephen completed an Entomology PhD at Berkeley, followed by a post doctorate at the Yale University Department of Epidemiology and Public Health. In 1998, he began at the University of Kentucky (UKY) as a Medical Entomologist, and he has worked steadily toward developing the Wolbachia pesticide approach against mosquitoes. His research has received funding support from NIFA, NIH, NSF and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2011, Stephen founded MosquitoMate, Inc. as a spinoff company, based on UKY-patented Wolbachia technology, which has subsequently received additional funding support from NIH and the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development. The Wolbachia pesticide approach has received experimental permits from the US EPA, and with multiple years of field trials completed, MosquitoMate has recently received commercial registration for one Wolbachia-based product, while additional products are in the development pipeline. Stephen has served as President of the American Committee of Medical Entomology, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. He has served on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Medical Entomology and is an active member of the Entomological Society of America, including the Medical, Urban and Veterinary Entomology Section. He is an active member of the American Mosquito Control Association, Society of Vector Ecology and the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California.

Lab Technologies Workshop: Insect Photography on 

February 1, 2023, 1-4 PM

Want to take better pictures of insects but don’t know what to do? Bring your cameras to the workshop hosted by the MVCAC Laboratory Technologies Committee and Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control (OCMVCD). Workshop topics will include the fundamentals of photography and how to take pictures of insects. There will be time for hands on experiences with live insects and demo camera equipment. Representatives from Olympus will be demonstrating their gear. Space will be limited. All camera types are welcome!


About the speaker: Dr. Megan Asche is an entomologist and macro photographer from Blaine, WA. She is an alumna of Washington State University and works for the USDA as an insect identifier. Megan has been an active member of the Entomological Society of American (ESA) since 2015. Currently, she holds multiple positions within the association, including:

  • Editor of the photography showcase “Through the Loupe” for American Entomologist magazine
  • Board member for American Entomologist magazine
  • ESA’s “World of Insects” Calendar committee member


Registration is open to the first 35 participants. Attendees will be bussed to and from the Disneyland® Hotel and the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District in Garden Grove. Snacks will also be provided. Registration available on the conference registration form. 


PRE-REGISTRATION FOR THE CONFERENCE CLOSED ON JANUARY 6th

YOU CAN STILL REGISTER ON-SITE AT THE CONFERENCE.

COVID-19:
Currently, there are no health mandates regarding COVID-19 in effect in California or Orange County regarding indoor events. The MVCAC Conference will follow any COVID health mandates that are in affect in Orange County (or California if it supersedes county orders) during the time of our conference. To see Orange County’s current COVID-19 information, please follow here.
You may also follow information from CDPH here.
 
If any changes occur, we will inform members as we learn the information.  
MORE INFORMATION

MVCAC Members on the Move!

The Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District is pleased to announce that Jodi Holeman has been appointed as District Manager starting January 1, 2023. She replaces Steve Mulligan, who is retiring after serving 32 years in that capacity. All official communication should be directed to Jodi in that role: jholeman@mosquitobuzz.net.

The Board of Trustees of the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District selected Assistant District Manager/Director of Communications Lora Young to be the next District Manager. Lora replaces Rick Howard who is retiring after more 35 years in local government, the final 7 as District Manager at OC Vector. Lora assumes her duties on January 1st. Rick’s last day is January 26th. Lora’s email is lyoung@ocvector.org

Do you have a management change to your district? Please email mvcac@mvcac.org so we can update our records

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.
LEARN MORE
Grandmother Mosquito: A new education tool for OCMVCD

Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District (OCMVCD/District) considers education an essential function of vector control. The challenge is in making a lasting impression. The District values all the interactions and educational opportunities with the public, both online and in-person. The challenge is how to keep mosquito control in people’s minds, beyond a fleeting interaction.

The idea of a children’s book seemed perfect for keeping mosquito control in people’s working memory. Children love books and for many families, shared reading is a nightly ritual. A typical habit of many children is to reread books over and over. As children hear stories, they internalize the message of the story. Parents who read with their child also learn as they read.
Read More
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

Evidence of Permethrin Resistance and Fipronil Tolerance in Rhipicephalus sanguineus sl (Acari: Ixodidae) Populations From Florida and California

Posted by Vector and Vector-borne Disease Committee

January 10, 2023


Tian,Y., et al. University of Florida. Email: yuexun1220@gmail.com

2022. Journal of Medical Entomology https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjac185 


Abstract [condensed]:

Three Ripicephalus sanguineus s.l. (brown dog tick) strains, one from a laboratory colony (NC) and two from colonies originally collected from Florida (FL) and California (CA), were evaluated for resistance against permethrin and fipronil. Metabolic detoxification mechanisms were evaluated in the FL strain using three synergists, and a polymerase chain reaction assay was used to detect a resistance mutation in all strains. The NC strain was susceptible to both permethrin and fipronil, whereas both the FL and CA strains exhibited high resistance to permethrin and tolerance to fipronil. The synergist tests and PCR results indicated that the FL strain utilized both metabolic resistance and target site insensitivity against permethrin, whereas the CA strain was documented to have the target-site insensitivity resistant allele. Fipronil resistance was not detected suggesting this acaricide may provide suitable tick control.


Note: This study provides evidence of permethrin resistance in Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks, including a colony originating from Imperial County, CA. Results indicated that fibronil would be a more effective treatment for these populations.

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.


January 9, 2023: Studies identify new strategies for insect control - UC Riverside News

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. 

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