Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (VBD)
Location: University of California, Davis and University of California, Riverside
Funded through December 2021
Key VBD Issues
- West Nile virus disease
- Lyme disease
- Louis encephalitis
- Dengue in U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands
By the Numbers
- 66 professionals from 28 vector control agencies trained at insecticide resistance workshops
- 149 million mosquitoes collected from 2 million trap checks at 65,000 locations
- 600 VectorSurv Gateway users from 141 agencies across 12 states and five U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands
- $3.25 million awarded through 26 student training grants for career development
Regional Resources

Pacific Southwest COE partners set up a mosquito trap.
- Monthly seminar series convening public health and vector control professionals, featuring the work of Pacific Southwest COE faculty, students, and visiting researchers
- Suite of online instructional videos on testing mosquito larvae for insecticide resistance
- Tick-Borne Disease Working Group to discuss tick studies, tick control methods, and disease risk in the Southwest region
Research
- Developing smart mosquito traps to save time and resources by detecting specific mosquito species and transmitting data to remote researchers
- Exploring how mosquito genetic profiles influence survival, mating, and spreading of viruses
- Determining exposure to Lyme disease and anaplasmosis among people in high-risk areas of northern California
- Examining how roaming dogs in Mexicali communities spread the tickborne bacteria that causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Major Collaborators
- 10 universities in California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and Alaska
- Four state health departments (California, Arizona, Hawaii, Utah); one local health department (Southern Nevada)
- Three healthcare associations
- Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services
For More Information
Page last reviewed: May 18, 2021