RESOURCES
PacVec shares resources relevant to our center. Explore the current resources provided below:
RESISTANCE TESTING AND BOTTLE BIOASSAY
If you have mosquito (Aedes or Culex) samples to be tested for insecticide resistance, PacVec is providing testing and training services at no charge, and all results will be returned to you. Dr. Anton Cornel's laboratory is leading this activity and organizing various regional training workshops on bottle bioassay testing. If you are interested, please contact us right away at bioassays@pacvec.us to arrange for shipment and timing of the testing.
The videos provide an overview of resistance testing for larval mosquitoes. Supplementary materials and additional resources are also available.
CDC bottle bioassay determines if particular active ingredients are able to kill an insect vector, such as a mosquito, at a specific location at a given time. It can detect resistance to insecticides in mosquitoes and other insects.
MOSQUITOES
The Vector-Borne Disease Surveillance System or known as VectorSurv was formed as a partnership of the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California, representing more than 60 local mosquito and vector control agencies in California; the California Department of Public Health; and the Davis Arbovirus Research and Training (DART) Lab at the University of California, Davis. The VectorSurv website shows the past and present results of surveillance for arboviruses, including West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis virus, and the spread of the invasive mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Aedes notoscriptus.
Warm temperatures and standing water create a favorable environment for mosquitoes to breed. As the temperatures rise in April and May, mosquito control districts across our region remind residents to check their yards and eliminate breeding sites for mosquitoes that can transmit pathogens such as dengue, Zika, and West Nile viruses. In this new video and article, PacVec scientists at UC Davis worked with KQED Science’s Deep Look team to reveal an amazing close-up view of the biology of Aedes aegypti, an invasive species which continues to spread in our region.
A special report from Sarah Mark on the increasing threat that mosquito-borne yellow fever poses to human populations, featuring PacVec Co-Director Dr. Chris Barker and training grant recipient Dr. Geoffrey Attardo. Listen to it on SoundCloud!
TICKS
The Border Tick and Rickettsia Surveillance (BiTeRS) program of the Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (PacVec) offers services to enhance surveillance for ticks and tick-borne pathogens of human health concern in California and Arizona. This is made possible through our project leaders at the University of California, Davis and the University of Arizona, and collaborating local and state agencies, including the California Department of Public Health and the Arizona Department of Health Services.
There are 48 tick species in the Pacific Southwest with a number of tick species that commonly carry and spread pathogens through biting. Ticks are divided into two main families: hard ticks (Ixodidae) and soft ticks (Argasidae). Learn about the tick species that pose health risks for both humans and animals in the Pacific Southwest!
Click on the items below to explore the resources they provide:
California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
- Tick-Borne Diseases
- Information & Interactive Maps
- Information for Health Professionals
- Toolkits
- Educational Materials
Arizona Department of Health Services
(AZDHS)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Ticks
- Prevention
- Symptoms of Tick-Borne Illness
- Tick Removal
- Tick-Borne Diseases
- Where Ticks Live
- How Ticks Spread Diseases
Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (PacVec)
PACVEC ANNUAL MEETING
The Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (PacVec) hosted our 4th annual meeting virtually on February 17-18, 2021. The meeting included presentations from researchers, trainees, public health officials, and vector control professionals from across our collaborative network, and we discussed plans for applied research and training opportunities in the coming year.
NEWSLETTERS & SOCIAL MEDIA
PacVec distributes weekly newsletters that:
- Disseminate relevant news, updates, and highlights from our region and other relevant areas
- List trainings, internships, employment, and funding opportunities
- Share center activities and recent publications from PacVec researchers
SUBSCRIBE HERE
- Follow us on Twitter @PacVecCenter
- Like and follow the Regional Centers of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases joint Facebook page @Vectorbornediseasecoes