- Author: Laura J. Van der Staay
First reported in California in June 2013, the invasive mosquito Aedes aegypti can vector four viruses: yellow fever, dengue, Khikungunya and Zika. Moderated by entomologist Anthony Cornel, Ph.D. at Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center and the entomology department at UC Davis, the workshop's agenda included
- Programmatic updates and discussion on surveillance, control, public outreach activities, and research efforts in greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District and the Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District of the South San Joaquin Valley Region
- Evaluation and discussion of surveillance techniques and integrated vector management approaches to control invasive Aedes in areas where established and newly invaded
- Public outreach and community involvement
- Response plans: discussion of how plans address the invasion/expansion of invasive Aedes, the mosquito control efforts in response to imported disease cases, and the response to autochthonous transmission of the disease
- Discussion and summary
Many informational posters from the California Department of Health were available. There was also a sample of a screened storm water drain to exclude Aedes from underground egg laying locations.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The UC Mosquito Research Laboratory at Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center is the epicenter of California research on the Aedes aegypti mosquito, a tiny, black and white mosquito that can spread the Zika virus.
Aedes aegypti were first identified in California in June 2013, when they were found in the San Joaquin Valley communities of Clovis and Madera. They have now been detected in certain Fresno County neighborhoods, plus the Bay Area, and Southern California, according to the California Department of Public Health.
To date, the Zika virus hasn't been found in the California mosquitoes, however with thousands of Americans traveling to Brazil for the 2016 Olympics, plus travelers regularly visiting other countries with outbreaks of Zika, some could be carriers of the virus when they come home.
Entomologist Anthony Cornel, Ph.D., is working with the Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District (CMAD) on research projects aimed at controlling this new mosquito menace. Strategies include: developing effective insecticide treatment strategies, making the female mosquitoes infertile, reducing standing water where mosquitoes breed, and using genetics to understand mosquito population movement. Read more.