NEWS BRIEFS
July 10 , 2020
Trustee Representation Sought

With the proposed changes to the MVCAC bylaws and policies and procedures, the Trustee Council position on the board will be replaced with an elected "Trustee at Large" position. This role will be a trustee liaison for the state and  represent the interests of the Association members that fulfill a Trustee/Director position at their District. This position will continue to have a voice and a vote on the MVCAC board of directors.
 
If you are interested in fulfilling this position, please reach out to Jeremy Wittie, Immediate Past President of MVCAC and Nomination Chairperson by July 31st.  He will compile a list and have eligible names ready for the ballot by the fall.  The position would begin January 1 and conclude December 31st.  The expectation is for this member to be an active part of the board of directors, attend all board of directors meetings (both virtually and in person) and work with other dedicated trustees in the state to continue providing their voice to the association.
 
Jeremy can be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at 760-399-6941
Can You Get Covid-19 From Mosquitos?
July 2, 2020

MVCAC President Peter Bonkrude joins Mark Alyn on Late Night Health to answer the question: "Can You Get Covid-19 From Mosquitos?"

Mosquito experts say the increased attention on public health is an excellent reminder that there are many ways for residents to protect themselves from mosquito-transmitted diseases.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), to date, there is no data to suggest that COVID-19 is spread by mosquitoes. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the main way that COVID-19 spreads is from person to person.

While COVID-19 is not transmitted by mosquitoes, they can transmit several other diseases such as West Nile virus. There is no human vaccine for this disease which can cause debilitating cases of meningitis, encephalitis, and even death. Also, newly established invasive Aedes mosquitoes can transmit viruses such as chikungunya, dengue, and Zika, all of which are costly to treat and can have long-term health and financial consequences.

In This Issue
MVCAC Call for Papers, Presentations and Posters

Deadline is October 5, 2020

The Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California (MVCAC) will hold its 89th Annual Conference January 31-February 2, 2021 at the Portola Hotel and Monterey Convention Center. You are invited to submit a paper or poster for presentation at the conference.

In consideration of COVID-19 contingencies, all submitted papers should be available for electronic presentations. Presentations should be related to mosquitoes or other vectors, the disease organisms they transmit, or their surveillance and control. Presentations may be about research results, the development and testing of new methods, equipment or products, education, community outreach  and the adaptation or development of new technology relating to vector research, surveillance or control, or the administration of a vector control agency.

MVCAC Corporate Member Fiscal Status Report Submission for 2020-21 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!
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  [email protected]  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.
Statewide COVID-19 Response Discussion

Occurs every other Tuesday beginning 6/2/2020 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada).
 
MVCAC Organization is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting
 
Topic: Statewide COVID-19 Response Discussion
09:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) bi-weekly on Tuesday's

Join Zoom Meeting
 
Meeting ID: 981 828 657
Password: 020005
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Meeting ID: 981 828 657
Password: 020005
Fernando Fregoso Memorial Scholarship Fund

Below is a link to Fernando's Memorial Scholarship Fund that was established by his family.  When he wasn't controlling Vectors, he was an active member Coachella Valley's youth athletics community as a Coach as you will see on the Go Fund Me Site.  
Submit your AMCA Award Nominations Now!

Deadline is August 20, 2020
AMCA Awards recognize individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the Association, to medical entomology and public health, and to the development and implementation of mosquito control methods and/or equipment.

Please nominate your colleagues and peers who are deserving of recognition. Nominations and the required supporting documents (if applicable) must be received by August 20, 2020, to be considered. Please send nominations via e-mail to Jason Kinley, Awards Committee Chair,  [email protected].

The AMCA Awards are:
Medal of Honor
Meritorious Service
John N. Belkin Award
Industry Award
Boyd-Ariaz Grass Roots Award
Memorial Lecturer and Honoree(s)
AMCA Honorary Member

Click here for additional information.
(includes a list of awards, criteria, etc)
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.  Because this key lacks Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, the sections that contain those species in Regional Guide to the Common Mosquitoes of California by Richard Meyer is appended to the PDF.  The entire PDF is key word searchable so that the diagnostic characteristics of each species can be found easily.  MVCAC thanks Richard Meyer for providing a pristine copy of Identification of the Mosquitoes of California that was scanned to produce the PDF.  Please follow this link to access the key: https://www.mvcac.org/resources/member-publications/
Southern California isn't known for its large wetland areas, but within the Northwest Mosquito and Vector Control District boundaries we have a very large riparian area known as the Prado Basin. This basin is managed by the Orange County Water District and is made up of several duck hunting clubs and flood planes for Inland Empire region.

In 2016, Northwest Mosquito and Vector Control decided to create a specialized team that would supervise the control of mosquitoes in these wetland areas.  The original wetland crew was supervised by Vector Control Technicians Tim Shellow and Eric Ballejos. The team's first task was to troubleshoot applications in hard to access parts of the wetlands and develop a more efficient way to treat these areas. The goal was to get a product shot out as far as possible over the cat tails and bulrush.

Submit your district for the next Agency Spotlight

D oes 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 [email protected]
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.
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.
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  [email protected]
Jobs

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 [email protected].
FOR SALE: 2013 ARGO XTI Titan 8x8 
OFFERED FOR SALE : $15,000
 
2013 ARGO XTI Titan 8x8
487.2 Hours              
Comes with 2 new tires and spare parts  
 
Contact:     
Douglas County Mosquito Abatement District
Krista Jenkins
[email protected] or 775-790-2558

Click here for more information
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.