December 2018 - Mosquito District Monthly Reports

Article Source: SAn Mateo County (CA) Mosquito & Vector Control District

Operations Report for December 2018

• In December 2018, six members of our operations team completed a course on “Safe Powerboat Handling”. The California boating education law, passed in 2018, requires all boaters to have a California Boater Card to operate a motorized vessel in state waterways. The card requires operators to complete a 1-day classroom session, followed by a 50-question test. All six staff members successfully completed the course and exam and were awarded a California Boater Card. The second part of the certification course was a hands-on safety course conducted on the Bay in Redwood City, driving the District powerboat. This was a great learning experience for our staff. Participation in this refresher course will keep the staff and public safe as we continue to work in the waterways of San Mateo County. Thanks to Nautical Solutions for a great experience.
• Also in December, we took a tour of the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve, in Santa Clara County. This 1,940 acre site, located just south of the City of East Palo Alto, has the potential to produce large numbers of adult mosquitoes which directly affect the residents of San Mateo County. We monitor adult mosquitoes in East Palo Alto along the border with Santa Clara County with monthly CO2 traps. When a spike in adult mosquito populations is detected, we work with Santa Clara County Mosquito and Vector Control to locate and control sources of development in both counties.

Service Request Comparison 2017-2018

2018, saw a significant decrease in the number of service requests related to mosquitoes. One of the causes of this reduction has been intensive work by operations staff on controlling mosquito larvae in drain lines. This is also the first full year that our seasonal staff have been able to use the MapVision catch basin application. This application identifies each catch basin in our treatment zones and allows staff to see them on a map as the vehicle gets close to them. The MapVision program minimized the number of catch basins being missed and led to more consistent treatment of every basin.

December Laboratory Report

Year in Review-Lab

The lab wraps up another busy year providing scientific support for our vector control programs.

We analyzed 479 field-collected larval and 1,206 adult mosquito collections, enabling quick and appropriate integrated vector management responses by our operations staff. We improved our primary adult mosquito trap (CO2 trap) with simple modifications based on scientific trials we conducted the previous year that compared the performance of different designs.

We had a moderately active year in mosquito-borne virus testing, with 123 bird and 131 mosquito samples tested for WNV, WEE, and SLE. Despite an overall lower number of some mosquito species this year, we did detect pockets of mosquitoes infected with West Nile Virus through in-house testing, prompting adult mosquito control operations in East Palo Alto in July. As a part of this effort, the lab assessed the mortality of caged adult mosquitoes held in the area during treatment to verify the efficacy of applied materials. Lab staff also conducted follow-up trapping of adult mosquitoes after the treatment to measure whether the treatment reduced the number of potentially disease-carrying mosquitoes. Test results showed that the adulticiding operation resulted in a 74.42% reduction in adult mosquitoes in the treated neighborhood. No West Nile virus was detected in adult mosquitoes after the adulticiding.

We continued to conduct active surveillance for invasive Aedes mosquito species. These mosquitoes have been steadily increasing their range throughout California in recent years, primarily in Southern California and parts of the Central Valley. These species (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus) are capable of carrying tropical diseases such as Dengue and Zika virus. In 2013, the lab detected an established population of one of these invasive species, Ae. aegypti, in a suburban area of the Menlo Park and Atherton. After two years of extensive surveillance, control, and public information campaigns, the district successfully eliminated this population of Ae. aegypti from the county. In order to ensure continued complete eradication, the lab conducts seasonal enhanced surveillance for these mosquitoes. The lab set and checked 2,405 traps in 2018, as well as year-round traps in limited areas to enable early detection of any potential re-introduction into the county.

Field-collected Culiseta incidens mosquitoes, as viewed under a dissecting microscope.

The lab collected and tested over 7,589 ticks for disease-causing pathogens in 2018, and expanded our testing programs to include both more diseases and more species of ticks. All Ixodes pacificus (Western black-legged) ticks were tested for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia miyamotoi and Anaplasma phagocytophilium. Additionally, Dermacentor ticks (American dog ticks and Pacific coast ticks) from some areas were tested for the presence of Francisella tularensis, the bacterium that causes tularemia. Detailed disease testing results will be available in the District’s annual report.

The lab worked cooperatively with operations staff to evaluate and improve our efforts to control rodents of public health concern in 2018. This included the deployment of a variety of technologies and techniques, including non-toxic census bait blocks,

Dermacentor ticks ready to be identified and counted.

These tools collect the data needed to help the District evolve our control programs to most effectively control domestic rats and avoid harm to nontarget animals and the ecosystem.

The laboratory conducted surveillance for hantavirus in two areas in 2018, trapping vector species of mice from San Bruno Mountain and La Honda. Fifty-four mice were sent to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) for testing. Of the 54 submitted specimens, five tested positive for hantavirus (4 from San Bruno Mountain and 1 from La Honda).

CO2 Traps – Average adult mosquitoes collected per trap per night

Public Health Education and Outreach Program

November & December 2018

• Public Health Education and Outreach Officer Megan Sebay attended the quarterly meeting of the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California (MVCAC) in Palm Springs on Nov. 2nd as a member of the MVCAC Public Relations Committee.
• On December 12th, the District issued a media release reminding residents of the risk of tick bites and tick-borne illness in San Mateo County. The release is available online at http://bit.ly/2GficE6.
• Events and presentations:
• During November and December 2018, website traffic decreased by 14% compared to the previous two months; this is consistent with seasonal variation in web traffic. 43% of all service requests were made through the online request form and 4% of website visitors entered a service request.

• San Bruno Girl Scout Troop #62550, Nov. 3rd, 2018 – tick and mosquito bite prevention for camping and hiking
• San Carlos City Council, Nov. 26th, 2018 – presentation on District work in San Carlos
• Harbor Industrial Association, Dec. 6th, 2018 – mosquitoes and mosquito-borne illness in San Mateo County
• San Mateo County Dept. of Agriculture Growers’ Workshop, Dec. 12th, 2018 – mosquito prevention in agricultural settings
• Fernando Rivera Middle School Career Day, Dec. 14th, 2018 (with Dr. Tara Roth) – careers in entomology and vector control
• November newsletter: 737 recipients, 40% opened 6% clicked
• December newsletter: 782 recipients, 39% opened 3% clicked
• San Mateo County Residents Reminded of Risk of Tick-Borne Illness: 1106 recipients, 46% opened, 0.5% clicked

o East Palo Alto City Council, Nov. 20th, 2018 – presentation on 2018 West Nile virus season

o San Mateo Highlands Association, Nov. 27th, 2018 – neighborhood meeting on rodent prevention and control

o Burlingame Mills Intermediate Girl Scouts, Dec 13th, 2018 – tick and mosquito bite prevention

• Top 10 website pages during November & December 2018:
• Pests, vectors, and vector-borne disease in the news in November & December, 2018:

• Homepage 6. Current Openings
• Ticks (What You Can Do) 7. Rodents (Identification & Info)
• Mosquitoes and Midges (blog post) 8. Yellowjackets & Wasps (Identification & Info)
• Biting Mites 9. Employment
• Head Louse Nymph (video) 10. Rodents (landing page)

• Email campaigns in November & December 2018:

http://bit.ly/2yJTO7I Researchers in Brazil have discovered that large numbers of wild primates are infected with Zika virus, indicating that they may serve as a reservoir for the virus between human outbreaks. If this is the case, it will be very difficult – if not impossible – to eradicate Zika virus from the Americas.
• Sterile mosquitoes best weapon against Zika virus. But will program continue? The Modesto Bee, Nov. 14th, 2018 (http://bit.ly/2Dzt0du). Last year, a partnership between Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District, Verily Life Sciences, and Mosquito Mate provided an experimental method of controlling invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in areas of Fresno. Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District is seeking funds to continue the effective but expensive project this year.
• Health Officials Issue Mosquito-Borne Illness Advisory (Press Release). Florida Department of Health, Nov. 19th, 2018 (http://bit.ly/2PCXUbY). A locally-acquired dengue case has been identified in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Like Zika virus, dengue is vectored by invasive Aedes mosquitoes, primarily Aedes aegypti. Miami-Dade County has been the site of several mosquito-borne disease outbreaks in recent years.
• These Invasive 20-Pound Rodents Could Wreak Havoc on California Agriculture. KPBS, Dec. 4th, 2018 (http://bit.ly/2StXGkr). The arrival of giant invasive rodents called nutria worries both farmers and conservationists in the Central Valley.
• Developmental delays persist as Brazil’s Zika babies grow up. STAT, Dec. 12th, 2018 (http://bit.ly/2UKyfwO). Researchers continue to find high levels of developmental delays and other health issues in children whose mothers were infected with Zika virus during pregnancy.
https://cnn.it/2UEYo08 A new study suggests that the invasive Asian
• Got Rats? Join The Club. NPR, Dec. 14th, 2018 (https://n.pr/2rCsSCD). Warmer weather, along with the increasing popularity of backyard gardens and livestock, can worse urban and suburban rodent infestations.
• Fresh Christmas trees can be crawling with spiders, mites, and other bugs: What you need to know. Fox News, Dec. 15th, 2018 (https://fxn.ws/2rHZ2N3). While many articles make claims that live Christmas trees are infested with insects, it’s rare to find more than a few – and even those are likely to be harmless hitchhikers instead of threatening pests.
###lihttps://cnn.it/2ValrAb). Researchers report that the number of injuries caused by animal attacks has increased over the past 10 years. Arthropod bites and stings were included in the total, and accounted for more than half of all animal-related injuries. Low-income individuals were disproportionately burdened by animal-related injuries, perhaps due to poor housing conditions.
• Coyote explores Pacifica. KRON4, Dec. 18th, 2018 (http://bit.ly/2ECuTHF). Coyotes are a natural part of the environment in San Mateo County, even in urban and suburban areas. However, their presence is an ongoing source of human-wildlife conflict as they raid garbage cans, attack small pets, and startle residents.
• Why naming all our mosquitoes is important for fighting disease. Medical Xpress, Dec. 18th, 2018 (http://bit.ly/2SrT8vz). In Australia, identifying and naming unknown mosquito species may be the key to preventing outbreaks of emerging mosquito-borne diseases.

MANAGER’S REPORT

SUBJECT: State, Agency and District Activities

National

The Annual conference of the American Mosquito Control Association will be in Orlando, Florida. February 25 to March 1, 2019. Board Vice President Wade Leschyn will be attending with Assistant Manager Brian Weber and Laboratory Director Angie Nakano.

State

• Mosquito & Vector Control Association of California (MVCAC)
• MVCAC Annual Conference will be held in Burlingame February 3-6 2019. 14 Trustees have been registered for the conference and most of the District staff. Further information is available at: http://www.mvcac.org/news-and-events/87th-annual-mvcac-conference/
• MVCAC Planning Meeting was held in Emeryville on December 6-7. Those attending included District Manager Chindi Peavey, Trustee Donna Rutherford who is now Chair of the Trustee Council.

District

The quarterly meeting of the local San Mateo County Chapter of the California Special Districts Association was held at the District headquarters on February 12, 2019 at 7:30 PM.

There will be a meeting of the Special District Selection Committee on February 12, 2019 to elect the Special District Representative to the Local Agency Formation Commission for San Mateo County (LAFCO). This meeting will be held at the District headquarters immediately before the local Chapter CSDA meeting.

 The Regional meeting of the MVCAC Coastal Region District Managers will be on February 1 at the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District office in Hayward. District Manager Chindi Peavey will attend

 The District has hired two Vector Control Technicians to fill vacancies. Evan Ostermann and

Devon Macdonald began work on January 7. Both have worked for the District previously as seasonal vector control aides - Devon in 2016, 2017, and 2018, and Evan in 2018. Since they'll be taking on plenty of new responsibilities, Devon and Evan will both spend a few months learning alongside an experienced technician before beginning to work on their own.

 Saturday December 8, 2018, the Board of Trustees participated in Governance

Foundations Workshop. Any Board member who was unable to attend the training will need to complete it as soon as possible. The next opportunity will be to attend one of the following:

• March 26, 2019 Sacramento
• April 2, 2019 San Diego
• July 7, 2019 Napa
• ALL NEW BOARD MEMBERS who were first appointed to the Board after November 7, 2015 are required to complete this workshop.

 Trustee Appointments. We have heard back from all of the cities whose Trustee

appointments which were due for renewal. The cities of East Palo Alto, Belmont, San Mateo, Daly City, San Carlos, and the Town of Portola Valley have all renewed the appointment of their Trustee. These are all of the Appointments that were up for renewal.

 Update on the Financial Audit – the District’s auditors have completed the FY 17-18 financial statements and the CAFR. They will present to the Finance Committee on January 7 and to the Board on February 13.

 Update on the Salary Survey. RGS expects to complete the survey on January 11, 2019.

 Government Finance Officers Association. Finance Director Richard Arrow is attending the Annual Conference of the Government Finance Directors this week. The conference provides an opportunity to keep current with the latest information in government finance and network with other public agency finance officers.

REFERENCE MATERIALS AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE

The District received the following publications and copies are available in the office for review.

• California Arbovirus Surveillance Bulletins
• Adult Mosquito Collection Reports

ACRONYMS

• ACIP = Alliant Crime Insurance Program
• AMCA = American Mosquito Control Association.
• BMP = Best Management Practices
• Bs = Bacillus sphaericus
• Bti = Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis
• CARMA = California Affiliated Risk Management Authorities
• CDC = Centers for Disease Control
• CDFG = California Department of Fish and Game (old name)
• CDFW = California Department of Fish and Wildlife (new name)
• CDPH = California Department of Public Health
• CDPR = California Department of Pesticide Regulation
• CSDA = California Special District Association
• CEQA = California Environmental Quality Act
• CERT = Community Emergency Response Team
• DPR = “California” Department of Pesticide Regulation
• DSC = Delta Stewardship Council
• EPA = “United States” Environmental Protection Agency
• ERMA = Employment Risk Management Authority
• ESA = Entomological Society of America
• FIFRA = Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
• IPM = Integrated Pest Management
• ISB = Independent Science Board
• LAFCO = Local Agency Formation Commission.
• LAO = Legislative Analyst’s Office
• LEED = Leadership in Energy and Environmental
• MAD = Mosquito Abatement District

AA. MCR = Municipal Service Reviews

BB. MRP = Monitoring and Reporting Program

CC. MVCAC = Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California.

DD. MVCD = Mosquito and Vector Control District

EE. NMFS = National Marine Fisheries Service

FF. NPDES = National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

GG. NWR = National Wildlife Refuges

HH. NRDC = National Resources Defense Council

II. OEHHA = Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

JJ. PEIR = Programmatic Environmental Impact Report

KK. SDLF = Special District Leadership Foundation

LL. SMCMVCD = San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District

MM. SOVE = Society of Vector Ecology

NN. USEPA = U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

OO. USFWS = U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

PP. VCJPA = Vector Control Joint Powers Agency

QQ. VCD = Vector Control District

RR. VCT = Vector Control Technician

SS. XR-G = Extended Residual Granular (pesticide product - Altosid)

TT. XRT = Extended Residual Tablet (pesticide product – Clarke)

UU. WNV = West Nile Virus

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Robert Riechel

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Source Credit: San Mateo County CA Mosquito & Vector Control District

Phone: 650-344-8592

Web Site: http://smcmvcd.org/

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