News Briefs | May 12, 2021
2021 updated PDF Available for Mosquito Identification Key
Identification of the Mosquitoes of California by Richard P. Meyer and Stephen L. Durso is available for download at no cost after logging in to the MVCAC web site. The entire PDF is key word searchable so that the diagnostic characteristics of each species can be found easily.

The Laboratory Technologies Committee updated the key to include adult Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, and couplets to identify larval Ae. aegypti, Ae. albopictus, Aedes notoscriptus, Aedes deserticola and Aedes sierrensis. Richard Meyer reviewed these additions to the key. Please follow this link to access the key: https://www.mvcac.org/resources/member-publications/
New CSDA Member Benefit Available for Mosquito and Vector Control Districts
CSDA has launched a new online community just for mosquito and vector control districts. Visit the Mosquito and Vector Control Community in CSDA Communities and engage with your peers. This community was established specifically for networking and discussions among staff and board members from mosquito and vector control districts who are CSDA members. Each day you will receive an email highlighting the most recent conversations. You can update the frequency received in your community notifications. If your District is not a member of CSDA, please contact CSDA at membership@csda.net or 877.924.2732.
2021 MVCAC Annual Meeting - On Demand Now Available!
The MVCAC 2021 Annual Conference is now ready for on demand viewing. It will continue to be available until July 31, 2021. For those who were already registered, they will use the same link to access the talks as they did for the “live” program along with their email and login information they set up then:
 
 
Anything that was not featured on a zoom platform provided by MVCAC will be available for continued viewing and CEU credits. They are shown as a “launch webinar” in the system.
 
As the person watches and completes at least 90% of viewing of the webinar, it will be compiled and ADDED to their credits they have already earned. This is not a problem on the back side of things, as I can run a report for new units vs old units so they are correctly uploaded, but we CANNOT show a certificate with a difference in live vs on demand. Please let your staff know this as well, so it eases any questions.  
 
No need to submit anything to MVCAC saying its complete, reports will be run weekly and submitted to CDPH for inputting.
 
If you have staff that were not registered and you would like to do so, please use the link below:
 
The same price is in place for the in demand portion for anyone you add on. From there the staff member will receive confirmation information so anyone new may be added to the portal. 
 
Thank you all for your patience as we got this piece up and running. 
 
As always, do not hesitate if you have any questions at mvcac@mvcac.org.
Earn Credit and Access Certificate(s)
Each session has its own viewer for Credit tracking purposes. To gain credit for each session, you must watch at least 90% of the session.
 
For the Symposia sessions ONLY: you will ALSO need to complete the touchpoint quiz which will pop up as a dialogue box during the Symposia sessions while watching the session.
 
The Overall session evaluation and the Code of Conduct Affidavit can be found in the Certificate Tab and is required to access the Overall Certificate which will show how many credits you received for each session you complete.
To receive your CEU certificate, you will need to complete the overall evaluation, acknowledge the Code of Conduct, and all touch points for each symposium for the full conference and then you will be awarded your certificate of completion.  Access to the content and Overall evaluation will be available until July 1, 2021. Please make sure to complete all session and your overall evaluation by or before July 1, 2021.
For the Ethics Certificate you will need to be manually marked complete so access to this certificate should be available shortly after the conference ends. (this is complete and the Ethics Certificate is now on the portal as well)
New Journal
A new peer-reviewed scientific journal entitled One Health & Implementation Research (OHIR) has been officially released to the public in March 2021. It will be published quarterly as an open access journal and the first issue will be published in September 2021. For additional information and publishing in this journal, please visit the following link, https://ohirjournal.com or contact Hanlie Han, Managing Editor of the Journal at hanlie@oaepublish.com or editorial@ohirjournal.com
Social Media Messaging for Dead Bird Reporting
The California WNV and Dead Bird Call Center (877-WNV-BIRD; 877-968-2473) is live Monday, April 12th. To support your efforts in encouraging residents to report dead birds for WNV testing, CDPH has created social media messages and graphics for local agencies to use and distribute throughout the WNV season. Included in this messaging is a message specifically about the current Salmonella outbreak in Pine Siskins. Please contact arbovirus@cdph.ca.gov or VBDS@cdph.ca.gov with any questions.
MVCAC Monthly Committee Meeting Information
MVCAC Executive Board: Third Tuesday of every month at 9am
The MVCAC Executive Board is now holding monthly statewide Zoom meetings to engage, inform and support our members. Join us on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 9am for an Association update and discussions on topics of importance including legislative and regulatory matters, outreach efforts, committee projects, continuing education updates, and COVID-related activities.
 
If you have a topic you would like to discuss, please email mvcac@mvcac.org with “Monthly Meeting Topic” in the subject line.

PR Committee: Second Thursday of every month at 2pm
The MVCAC PR Committee is now holding monthly Zoom meetings to exchange information, provide updates on subcommittee progress and to support each other as communications professionals. 

VVBD Committee: First Tuesday of every month at 8am
Committee members are not required to make every meeting, but are required to check in prior to any meeting they cannot attend. 
If you are interested in being on the VVBD email list please email Mir Bear-Johnson (mirbearjohnson@deltavcd.com). The email list is notified of the meetings.

Laboratory Technologies Committee: Fourth Wednesday of every month from 2pm – 3pm

MVCAC New Professionals Virtual Lounge: Second Tuesday once a quarter from 11am – 12pm
This is a networking hour for vector control professionals with less than 5 years of industry experience.
Click here for more information and upcoming topics.

Next meeting topic:
Summer Lounge
June 8 – Never Skip Leg day and CalSurv
  • Recap of legislative day (happens in April-May) and issues promoted to legislatures
  • Discuss CalSurv and data management in agencies - Mapvision, Tableau, other related software
  • How do you see the data your agency is collecting driving the decisions in your agency?
  • How does your prior experience guide you on where you are now as a new professional?
  • Invite Regulatory Affairs Committee chair/members
  • Invite Public Relations Committee chair/members
  • Invite CalSurv Committee chair/members

All meeting zoom login information is behind the member login, please click the button below to access it.
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.
Delta Vector Control District (District) is proud to announce the opening of its most innovative facility to date, the Alburn Fish Hatchery. The hatchery is named after the District’s previous General Manager Michael Alburn and marks the end of a three-year building project. The project included the renovation of the District’s existing 699 square foot, semi-covered, outdoor mosquitofish facility and resulted in a new 925 square foot indoor mosquitofish facility with space for two new offices.  
Submit your district for the next Agency Spotlight
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? "Agency Spotlight" 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 Agency Spotlight 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 - Giant Asian Hornets
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 Giant Asian Hornets.

CSDA Giant Asian Hornets Video: 

 
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.
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
Invitation: Adulticide Delivery System Crowdfund
An opportunity for districts and mosquito control industry to participate in the development of a new mosquito adulticide spray system for UAS.


Please note: MVCAC does not endorse this in any way.
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) should be submitted 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.