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

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

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

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

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

Page last reviewed: May 18, 2021