News Briefs | March 29, 2023

Save the Date for the Spring Budget & Board Meetings!

MVCAC’s Budget Membership review meeting will be taking place on Monday, April 24th from 10:00 am – Noon via Zoom.

 

Following that, the Spring Board Meeting, including voting on the budget, take place on May 4th from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm on Zoom.

 

Keep an eye out for the budget draft and board meeting details in late March. In the meantime, if you have any questions, contact MVCAC Executive Director Megan MacNee at mmacnee@amgroup.us.

AMG bids Farewell to Sarah Spencer

As of March 31st, Sarah Spencer will no longer be providing contract work to AMG or its clients as she focuses more on her family and her flourishing business on the East Coast. To say she will be missed is an understatement. Sarah has been a valued partner to AMG for almost 10 years. She first started with AMG in Sacramento as MVCAC’s membership coordinator. When her family took her back east, she started her own business and continued on with AMG as a contractor, with continued support to many of our clients.  


We will miss Sarah greatly; she’s been a wonderful co-worker and to many a continued friend. Her future continues to be bright and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for her and her family. 


Please make sure to send anything you would send directly to Sarah to mvcac@mvcac.org so it can be handled appropriately by MVCAC staff. There will not be any gaps in website or communication items as other AMG staff will be stepping in to help in the interim. As soon as someone new is brought on board we will let everyone know.


If anyone wants to bid her adieu, she is still checking sspencer@amgroup.us until Friday. 

Spring Meeting & Leg Day Follow Up

Thank you to everyone who came to Sacramento for MVCAC’s Leg Day. Overall, the feedback was very positive, and we really appreciate you taking the time to meet with your legislators. Please make sure to fill in any notes/follow-up on the google sheet. We have drafted a sample thank you for districts to send to legislators. We are working on a letter that legislators can send in support of our $5 million Aedes budget request as well as a letter that legislators can send to DPR encouraging them to expedite their review of innovative technologies. We will send those to you shortly and in the meantime please contact Jeremy Wittie at JWittie@cvmosquito.org if you have any questions.

Register by tomorrow

PacVec Annual Meeting 2023!

MVCAC member districts are invited to the 6th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (PacVec) to be held April 6-7, 2023. The meeting will be an in-person event at the International Center on the campus of the University of California in Davis, California. Please mark your calendars and register for the meeting! 


Registration: https://ucdavis.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5AXAtjSTfLK5ZK6.  


Please fill out the registration form above for each individual who will attend so that we will have a head count and contact information for everyone as the meeting approaches. At this time, we still have adequate meeting space for approximately 40 additional attendees.  

 

Hotel rooms with discounted rates are available at Hyatt Place UC Davis in Davis, CA. Hyatt Place is on the UC Davis campus and a 21-min walk to the meeting site.

 

Hyatt Place UC Davis is located next to the Mondavi Center, Manetti Shrem Museum and within walking distance to many campus facilities and Downtown Davis. Enjoy free breakfast by making reservations using the link provided below. Rooms are first-come, first-served (no specific expiration), so booking early is highly recommended!

  1.  Make reservations here. Click on the “Book Now” button, enter your arrival and departure dates, and click the “Book Now” button again. Corporate or Group Code should autogenerate, but if not, please enter 31653 as the group code. 
  2. Visit Google Maps for walking directions and location of the hotel and visit here for hotel location and transportation Information.

 

PacVec is supported by CDC and serves the southwestern U.S., Hawaii, and the US-affiliated Pacific Islands. Our goal is to improve the capacity of our region to respond to threats from vector-borne diseases through a combination of research, training, and collaboration. The PacVec annual meeting will include presentations on research progress and plans, current issues in vector-borne diseases in our region, and updates on training and engagement with our community of practice. 

 

Click for Draft Agenda


Please send questions anytime to questions@pacvec.us or to coordinator Celia Chen at celchen@ucdavis.edu.

Cybersecurity Information following Spring Quarterly 2023

In response to the conversation during the MVCAC IT Committee at Spring Meeting, please see follow up information:


Bulletin 1: Free Government Vulnerability Assessments


Overview of Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA from DHS) Vulnerability Scanning (VS) service offerings: https://www.cisa.gov/topics/cyber-threats-and-advisories/cyber-hygiene-services


Background Info: CISA’s VS is a persistent "internet scanning-as-a-service" that continuously assesses the health of your internet-accessible assets by checking for known vulnerabilities, weak configurations or configuration errors, and sub-optimal security practices. The service also recommends ways to enhance security through modern web and email standards.


How to sign up?

Bulletin 2: Microsoft Outlook Exploit


What exactly is the critical security flaw? This flaw allows hackers to remotely infiltrate an un-patched workstation just by receiving an email. (referred to as a zero-day attack). Administrators should prioritize patching CVE-2023-23397 and use Microsoft's script to check for signs of exploitation. (Link provided) It's critical to implement the patch on all of our District systems.

 

The patch can be obtained within the Outlook program by following the steps outlined in this guide:

Bulletin 3: Follow NIST


While there's importance to patch systems and enroll in special vulnerability programs--it'd be a good to reiterate that all members should follow the best cybersecurity policies recommended by NIST. You can find these policies in an easy-to-understand format by visiting the following link: https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework


Bulletin 4: Join MISAC for the latest Cybersecurity Notices


In addition to following and implementing NIST guidance, it's advised to join the Municipal Information Systems Association of California (MISAC) as an individual special district of California. MISAC provides tremendous benefits to their membership, one of which being expediant communication on all current cybersecurity threats that should be addressed by a Systems Administrator or a Managed Services consultant. Details can be found here: https://www.misac.org/general/register_member_type.asp



We believe that this information is crucial for all members to protect their agency and assets from potential cyber attacks. Anybody could fall victim to threats these days. Our aim as a committee is to convey the best information and guidance to hopefully help other Districts know about critical vulnerabilities before it is too late. 

CLICK HERE

The West Nile Virus and Dead Bird Call Center

The West Nile Virus and Dead Bird Call Center will open to live calls beginning Monday, April 10. Hours of operation will be 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday-Friday until mid-October. The public may report dead birds by calling 1-WNV-BIRD (1-877-968-2473), or by filling out an online report at westnile.ca.gov. Local agencies may speak with call center staff directly by calling the agency line: 510-412-4601, or by email at arbovirus@cdph.ca.gov

Call for Proceedings Papers

Deadline April 7, 2023

CONTRIBUTIONS: A contribution to the Proceedings is expected from every speaker or poster presenter at the annual meeting of the MVCAC. A full paper is encouraged; however, presenters may submit an “extended abstract”. Because the Proceedings is not ‘peer reviewed’, publication will not preclude submission of a full manuscript elsewhere.


The submission deadline for the MVCAC Proceedings and Papers is April 7, 2023.


All talks must have an associated description in the PMVCAC. The following two options are: 


1) Full manuscript 

2) Extended abstract 


If nothing is submitted by the presenter, the abstract submitted with the request to present a paper will be reviewed and published.  


Submit manuscripts and extended abstracts by email to: 




Please reference in the email whether the submission is a full paper or an extended abstract. If the title has been changed, please reference the original presentation title.


ALSO NOTE: Tables should be submitted in a Word Document. Figures, graphs, line drawings and photographs must be submitted electronically as separate files using .TIFF or .JPEG format.


The guidelines have changed. To view the new guidelines, click here

PacVec Training Grants – Proposals Due March 30!


The annual call for proposals for the PacVec training grant program is now open. Proposals are invited for training grants that are consistent with the PacVec mission and should address themes relevant for public-health policy. This year’s PacVec training grant program offers two different award types:

  1. Curricular Enhancement in Public-Health Entomology
  2. Mentored Research for Students and Postdoctoral Scholars


The application deadline is Thursday, March 30, 2023 by 11:59 pm PDT. Please visit the training grant website for details on eligibility, application requirements, and more. These grants are an excellent opportunity for collaboration between mosquito control or public health agencies and academic researchers at any college or university within our region. Interested agencies are encouraged to reach out to potential collaborators to discuss ideas for possible projects.

Sentinel Chicken Orders

Chickens are being supplied by a new farm in Modesto for Northern California and Southern California this year. 


Click here to download the order form

Via email or fax to 916-444-7462


Please return order form by April 7, 2023.


Northern and Southern Region

Pick-up date: April 27, 2023 (7 a.m.- 9 a.m.) in Modesto

The address is 3707 Hammett Rd, Modesto, CA 95358


If you have any questions, please email or call R’Mani White in Membership at rwhite@amgroup.us or (916) 440-0826 ext. 125 

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
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

2023 International Branch Virtual Symposium Program Now Available

Posted by Vector and Vector-borne Disease Committee - March 22, 2023


The online program for the 2023 International Branch Virtual Symposium now available! Check out the program and start planning your schedule. Plus, register now for FREE! Registration is free for ESA members and non-members alike. Spread the word and build excitement for insect science. Register nowreview the program, and learn more about the plenary speakers below.


April 24: Climate Change and Its Impact on Biological Control

April 25: Endangered Species, Diversity/Taxonomy, Pest Management, and Social Insects

April 26: Virus Vector Interaction



Note: The program is only available after registration for non-members. 


Learn More

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.


CDC Zika Virus Web Page


CDC Zika Virus Microsite


CDPH Zika Virus Web Page

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.


March 26, 2023: 'Big concern': Unusual mosquito season may be coming to California - San Francisco Gate


March 24, 2023: Health Experts Warn of Mosquitoes in Standing Water Following Recent Storms - NBC Bay Area

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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