The Newsletter of the Florida Mosquito Control Association Volume 8, Issue Number 5 GMCA 31 st Annual Meeting October 15 17, 2008 Athens, GA http://www.gamosquito.org/meeting.htm SCMCA 2008 Annual Meeting November 5 7, 2008 Ocean Creek Resort, Myrtle Beach, SC http://www.scmca.net/2008-2.html FMCA 80 th Annual Fall Meeting Nov. 16 19, 2008 Panama City Beach, FL Meeting registration form inside this issue of BuzzWords Northeastern Mosquito Control Association 54 th Annual Meeting December 8 10, 2008 Providence, RI at the Marriott Providence For more information: www.nmca.org 2009 National West Nile Conference February 19 20, 2009 Marriott Savannah Riverfront Savannah, GA www.mosquito.org
News from FDACS The Florida Mosquito Control Association (FMCA) and Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) mosquito control section will sponsor a one-day workshop for all entomologists and biologists from Florida mosquito control districts. The meeting will take place at the Pasco County Mosquito Control District on Oct 29, 2008. The purpose of this workshop is to bring together entomologists and biologists to exchange research interests or activities in their districts. Each individual will be given an opportunity to present district current research activities, interests and future research projects. Contact Peter Jiang Jiangy@doacs.state.fl.us or Frank VanEssen for details FrankVanEssen@cmcd.org. News from the Districts The Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County, Florida will host a 60th anniversary celebration on December 9, 2008. For more information: www.anastasiamcd.org The 6th Annual Workshop for Arbovirus Surveillance and Mosquito Control will be held March 31 -April 2, 2009, AMCD, St. Augustine, Florida. For more information: www.anastasiamcd.org Dr. Rui-De Xue, AMCD visited Angola to consult on malaria and mosquito control from July 4 to July 19, 2008. He also visited the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel to consult about the research and development of sugar bait projects from July 20 to July 23, 2008. News from FMEL The 2009 Advanced Mosquito Identification and Certification Course will be held March 2 14, 2009. On-line registration will open on September 2, 2008. http://mosquito.ifas.ufl.edu To link to the Modeled Water Table Depth and KBDI analysis: http://mosquito.ifas.ufl.edu/mwtd_risk_model. htm From the Editor of BuzzWords This issue of BuzzWords includes the first article highlighting a Florida mosquito control district in what will now be a regular feature of the newsletter. Thanks to Stephen Sickerman for agreeing to write the first in this series. The deadline for submitting articles to BuzzWords will follow the schedule in the table below: News from PHEREC The Florida A&M University, John A. Mulrennan Sr., Public Health Entomology Research & Education Center 2007/2008 Annual Report has been posted at: http://www.pherec.org/annualreport/2008.pdf Jan/Feb February 1 Mar/Apr April 1 May/Jun June 1 Jul/Aug August 1 Sep/Oct October 1 Nov/Dec December 1 Volume 8 Number 5 2
East Flagler Mosquito Control District 24 Utility Drive, Palm Coast, Fl 32137, Tel: 904.445.4135 Fax: 904.446.5104 Seeking Helicopter Pilot The East Flagler Mosquito Control District is accepting applications for a full time helicopter pilot. The district helicopter is a 2005 Bell 206B3, with NVG cockpit and lighting, and it is used for mosquito inspection, larviciding and adulticiding. Interested applicants should email complete pilot history and references to Joseph Cash (joecash@bellsouth.net) no later than November 15, 2008. Alternatively, applicants may submit by fax to 386.446.5104. Salary is negotiable. Seminole County Mosquito Control Seeking Team Leader/Technician; Working Area: Mosquito Control; Pay Rate $15.91-26.25/hour ($33,080-54,582/year) GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB: Performs specialized work involving the supervision of mosquito control field operations. Works under the direction of the Manager and is expected to exercise considerable independent judgment to accomplish work with a minimum of supervision. Work also includes performing the functions and duties of a Mosquito Control Technician. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Assists in coordinating field evaluations of pesticides and application equipment. Supervises field surveillance, larviciding and adulticiding operations and evaluates the effectiveness of these operations. Conducts field inspections to detect the presence of mosquitoes; sets and retrieves mosquito traps. Ensures all spray equipment is calibrated according to label specifications. Conducts quality assurance evaluations and oversees the safety program. Assigns complaint investigations to the appropriate personnel. Evaluates work performance and abilities of subordinates. Applies natural predators known to be effective against immature mosquitoes. Maintains records and completes reports. Maintains daily records of areas sprayed, to include location, time, volume of chemicals used and miles traveled. Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with other employees and the general public. Maintains Sentinel Chicken Flocks and performs other duties of mosquitoborne virus surveillance. Provides information to the public on the production and elimination of mosquitoes. Responds to citizens requests in a courteous and timely manner. Conducts Out-Reach and Public Education programs as assigned by Manager. Participates in continuing education on Public Health Pest Control and federal, state and county laws and regulations governing pesticides. Keeps abreast of advancements in the mosquito control field through self-study and professional training courses. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: High school diploma or GED and three (3) years of experience in all phases of mosquito control to include one (1) year of supervisory experience. Mosquito control supervisory experience preferred. Must be able to calibrate spray equipment for proper application rate. Knowledge of the geographic layout of Seminole County is a plus. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Must possess a valid Public Health Pest Control certification issued by the State of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services or obtain within 90 days of appointment. Must possess and maintain a valid Florida Driver s License. Must be able to work evenings, weekends, holidays and/or rotating shifts. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS: Knowledge of the technical aspects of mosquito control operations. WORKING CONDITIONS: Working extended hours outdoors in high temperatures and humidity. HOW TO APPLY: Send resumé by e-mail or mail. Position open until filled. CONTROL TEAM LEADERS: 2 positions available SEMINOLE COUNTY MOSQUITO CONTROL 177 Bush Loop, Sanford, FL 32773, 407-665-5542, mosquito@seminolecountyfl.gov 3 Volume 8 Number 5
Is it Culex tarsalis or Culex coronator? Are you seeing Culex mosquitoes with banded legs in your collections? For mosquito identifiers in Florida who use the Darsie and Morris (2000) keys to the Florida mosquitoes, Culex (excluding the Melanoconion) with distinct or narrow basal and apical bands on the hind tarsomeres will key out to bahamensis or tarsalis. Culex bahamensis has very narrow bands on the hindtarsomeres, a broad median white band on the proboscis, and its distribution is limited to Broward, Dade, and Monroe counties in the United States (Breeland 1982). Culex tarsalis has distinct basal and apical banding on the hind tarsomeres and a broad median white band on the proboscis. For the banded legged Culex then, many identification specialists are keying their specimens to Cx. tarsalis. While Cx. tarsalis has been reported from several counties in Florida, it is not common or abundant statewide. For those who have recently identified mosquitoes as Cx. tarsalis, please be aware that these specimens are likely Cx. coronator. The first collections of Culex coronator in Florida were from Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, and Washington counties (Smith et al. 2006) and more recently this mosquito has been found in other counties in the Panhandle region. The Georgia Mosquito Control Association website includes a posting of the distribution of mosquito species in the state: http://www.gamosquito.org/resources/mosspecies.htm Culex coronator has been collected in several South Georgia counties: http://www.gamosquito.org/resources/maps/coronator.jpg Within the past year, the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory (FMEL) has received specimens identified as Cx. tarsalis from several mosquito control biologists from Florida counties. However, after examination, we have confirmed the identity as Culex coronator from Citrus, Indian River, Polk, St. Johns, and Volusia counties (Fig. 2). The reason for the misidentification is that these two species have similar morphology and Cx. coronator is not included in the Darsie and Morris keys to the mosquitoes of Florida (2000), but Cx. tarsalis is described in the key. If a specimen is indeed Cx. coronator, following the Darsie and Morris key (2000) will take the identifier to Cx. tarsalis and then the identifier may assume that the scales on the proboscis have been rubbed since the band is incomplete. While this may be possible, for recent collections it is more likely that the specimen is Cx. coronator. For the taxonomic key that includes both species, refer to Darsie and Ward keys to the mosquitoes of North America (2005). The table below provides a list of characteristics, most of which are not included in the Darsie and Morris (2000) key. The information presented here is a combination of characters from Darsie and Ward (2005), Darsie and Morris (2000), and Carpenter and LaCasse (1955). A close examination of the proboscis of Cx. coronator will reveal a broad area of pale or white scales on the ventral surface which does not extend around the dorsal surface to form a complete band; but there is a band of white scales around the proboscis of Cx. tarsalis (Fig. 1). If you have specimens that you believe are either Cx. coronator or Cx. tarsalis, and you would like to have a confirmation on the identification, you may send them to FMEL to Dr. Roxanne Connelly, 200 9 th Street SE, Vero Beach, FL 32962. If you have already determined that Cx. coronator is in your county and it is NOT on the map in this article (Fig. 2), please contact Dr. Connelly at crr@ufl.edu This map is posted and will be updated regularly at: http://mosquito.ifas.ufl.edu/mosquitoes_of_florida.htm Volume 8 Number 5 4
Culex tarsalis scale stripe on front femur and tibia Fig. 1. Banded proboscis and fore leg of Culex tarsalis Culex tarsalis banded proboscis Fig. 2. Florida counties positive for Culex coronator 5 Volume 8 Number 5
HEAD LEGS ABDOMEN Breeland, SG. 1982. Bibliography and notes on Florida mosquitoes with limited distribution in the United States. Mosquito Systematics. 14(1):53-72. Carpenter SJ, LaCasse WJ. 1955. Mosquitoes of North America (North of Mexico). University of California Press. Berkeley and Los Angeles. 360 pp +127 plates. Darsie Jr. RF, Morris CD. 2000. Keys to the adult females and fourth instar larvae of the mosquitoes of Florida (Diptera, Culicidae). Technical Bulletin of the Florida Mosquito Control Association. Volume 1 (revised). Florida Mosquito Control Association, Inc. Fort Myers, FL. 159 pp. Darsie Jr. RF, Ward RW. 2005. Identification and geographical distribution of the mosquitoes of North America, North of Mexico. University Press of Florida. Gainesville, FL. 304 pp. Smith JP, Walsh JD, Cope EH, Tennant Jr. RA, Kozak III JA, Darsie Jr. RF. 2006. Culex coronator Dyar and Knab: A new Florida species record. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association. 22(2):330-332. C. Roxanne Connelly, Associate Professor George F. O Meara, Professor Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory University of Florida, IFAS Vero Beach, FL Separating adult females of Culex tarsalis from Culex coronator Proboscis dark-scaled with a broad median white band Proboscis dark-scaled dorsally and a broad area of pale or white scales ventrally Short palps, dark with white scales on the apical and the 3rd segments Short, dark palps Culex tarsalis Culex coronator Hind tarsomeres with distinct basal and apical bands Anterior surface of forefemur and tibia with pale stripe of scales V-shaped dark-scaled pattern on abdominal sterna Abdominal sterna without dark triangles; mostly pale scaled Volume 8 Number 5 6
SOUTH WALTON COUNTY MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT When Roxanne Connelly invited me to write an article about the South Walton County Mosquito Control District to inform BuzzWords readers about our current activities, I couldn t say no, because it s hard to turn down a fellow editor who graciously contributes manuscripts whenever asked. Here s some information about the South Walton County Mosquito Control District that you may not know, most of which does not appear in the Operational Work Plan Narrative we send to Tallahassee each year: We are one of 5 counties which host two State-participating mosquito control programs, splitting the county with North Walton Mosquito Control. We have 2 commissioners running for re-election, John Magee and Jim Crawford, and are expecting the Governor or the Commissioner of Agriculture to appoint a third mosquito control commissioner to our Board. We currently have 11 full-time and 4 part-time employees, with experience ranging from 3 months to over 20 years. Office manager Joanne Gaines retired at the end of May, after almost 28 years with the district, and our new office manager, Geraldine Via, bakes and decorates the most amazing pastries. May 2008: Back row, left to right: Eric Jiorle, Darrin Dunwald, Denis Rietenbach, Jose Hernandez, David Gettelfinger. Front row: Randy Wright, Geraldine Via, Cynthia Dillingham, Joseph Jinright. Not shown: Kenny McDaniel, Kelvin Cuchens. Stephen Sickerman. Geraldine s cake for Ralph s retirement everything was edible but the tractors! In fact, just about everyone here is a great cook, one of the many reasons why SWCMCD is such a great place to work. Cynthia Dillingham, our Secretary-Receptionist and part-time sprayer, is recuperating from a traffic accident and we look forward to her speedy recovery. 7 Volume 8 Number 5
We ve been fortunate that the summer s storms have passed us by, and while many of us in the Panhandle could use a bit more rain, we ve not had the damage or the flooding and subsequent large mosquito numbers that have affected other areas of Florida. property values and the myriad tax changes enacted by the Florida legislature. Hopefully the situation will stabilize (and improve) so that we will not have to reduce the level of service expected by district residents. SWCMCD was formed in 1964 by Notice of Election, and we ll be celebrating our 50 th anniversary a mere 5 ½ years from now. Be sure to look for an update in BuzzWords sometime in mid-2014. Stephen Sickerman, Director South Walton County Mosquito Control District Santa Rosa Beach, FL Eric Jiorle identifying adult mosquitoes Eastern Equine Encephalitis is still with us, as informed by our stalwart sentinel chickens, but at a very low level. Jose Hernandez bleeding sentinel chickens Now that there is no dog (stable) fly control program, we cannot respond to complaints from the public, other than to inform them that there is no longer a dog fly control program. We have been more successful controlling yellow (deer) flies, having distributed sticky ball traps to some 125 households this year. Even though we are an independent taxing district, we too have felt the effects of reduced Volume 8 Number 5 8
Florida Mosquito Control Association 80 th Annual Fall Meeting Registration Form Federal ID # 59-1819301 PO Box 358630, Gainesville, FL 32635-8630 The 2008 FMCA Annual Fall Meeting will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 16 th with the FMCA Board of Director s Meeting. The general program will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, November 17 th and conclude at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 19 th. The meeting will be held at the Bay Point Marriott, Panama City Beach, FL. Registration forms must be faxed (352.334.2286) or mailed by November 1, 2008, for advance registration fees. There will be no refunds given after November 8, 2008. If you have any questions, please call Kellie Etherson at 352.281.3020 or email her at ethersonk@cityofgainesville.org. Please type or legibly print the following information: Name: Agency Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: Email: Advance Registration (check one) Credit Card Information Director $260 Card Number: Commissioner $260 Name on Card: General Member $235 Expiration Date: Student $135 Billing Address: Non-Member Director $360 Billing Zip Code: Non-Member Commissioner $360 Card Type: Visa M/C Discover Am Ex Non-Member General $325 Signature: Exhibitor (Comp.) 0 Extra Banquet Ticket $ 75 Companion $135 Name Dues (General Member) $ 35 Dues (other) $ TOTAL AMOUNT DUE: $ For room reservations: Bay Point Marriott 4200 Marriott Drive Panama City Beach, FL 32408 1.850.236.6000/1.800.874.7105 www.marriottbaypoint.com On-line reservation code: FMCFMCA Room Rate: $119.00 per night Dues may be included and paid with the meeting registration. Please check any that apply (for name badge): Speaker FMCA Past President Exhibitor Sustaining Member Other: These rates are subject to state and local tax and resort fees. Please identify yourself as attending the Florida Mosquito Control Association meeting. You will not be considered tax-exempt unless you pay using a tax-exempt agency check or credit card with the agency name on it. You must have a copy of your tax exemption certificate. The cut-off date for our group rate is October 16, 2008. 9 Volume 8 Number 5
A Review of West Nile Virus Epidemiology Anyone wishing to obtain a well written review of the status of our knowledge about West Nile virus epidemiology should read a paper in the Annual Review of Entomology by Kramer, L.D., L.M. Styer and G.D. Ebel. 2008. A global perspective on the epidemiology of West Nile virus. Annual Review of Entomology 53: 61-81. This paper can be obtained directly on the web at: http://arjournals.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev.ento.53.103106.093258 Kramer et al. (2008) review many studies that provide an impressive array of interesting information about West Nile virus and its epidemiology in the U. S. since its arrival in 1999. The extent of the West Nile literature in the past 10 years has been greatly expanded due to the seriousness of the impact of West Nile on the health and well-being of humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Florida is one of the few states in the U.S. to have largely escaped a substantial West Nile epidemic. However, Florida mosquito control and public health professionals have addressed a variety of issues, including surveillance and control strategies, to mitigate the impact of West Nile in case of a substantial outbreak. The above review article provides a summary and access to the literature on the virus, its molecular epidemiology, avian hosts, mosquito vectors, the transmission cycle, bridge vectors, long-term spread and perpetuation, and strategies for control and treatment including vaccine and antiviral treatment. Although many readers of BuzzWords will likely already be familiar with much of the information in the reviews, the article is an excellent reference for your libraries and your own background information. If you are also looking for a review and summary of surveillance and vector control studies, unfortunately you will not find it in this review. In my opinion this is a great weakness of the article. There is little information on vector control strategies that have proven successful in mitigating West Nile in the U.S. Although studies using GIS to develop West Nile predictors are mentioned, unfortunately there is no information that such predictors have been used successfully. Further, Florida mosquito control and public health professionals are well aware of the use of sentinel surveillance, particularly the use of the Florida sentinel chicken surveillance program that has successfully been used to assess Florida s risk for both West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis virus. In addition, Florida s well honed surveillance system employs Dr. Jon Day s statewide water level assessments to develop risk predictors that have been amply reported in the literature (see Day, J.F. and J. Shaman. 2008. Using hydrologic conditions to track the risk of focal and epidemic arboviral transmission in peninsular Florida. Journal of Medical Entomology 45(3):458-469.) The Florida sentinel surveillance system, coupled with the well-developed Florida drought and water table depth information has provided a powerful predictor that has benefitted Florida s ability to respond to West Nile surveillance, witness the Pinellas Mosquito Control District s response to West Nile transmission in 2005 (Day and Shaman 2008). This timely and aggressive mosquito control response, based on surveillance and water table monitoring, played a role in heading off what would have been a substantial outbreak of West Nile in Pinellas County. BuzzWords readers will be disappointed that this information is omitted in the review, which is unfortunate. Perhaps a review on this topic simply reflects the current status of West Nile in the U.S. Despite the increase in knowledge about the virus, its vectors and potential hosts, BuzzWords readers hopefully maintain a realistic appraisal of our progress to mitigate outbreaks of mosquito borne pathogens like West Nile virus. Despite the extensive studies and references in the review, the actual realistic mitigation of any West Nile outbreak remains largely where it was in 1999, it remains the burden of efficient, effective, and Volume 8 Number 5 10
environmentally proper professional mosquito control. We know more about the virus, and its molecular epidemiology. Also, we have identified the major mosquito vectors and hosts, despite the earlier confusion when scores of mosquito species found with the virus were considered potential important vectors. Florida s West Nile surveillance capabilities are among the best in the world. Yet despite all that we have learned, West Nile control still falls to the capabilities and expertise of local mosquito control districts. We now have better information to target areas where there is risk, but it is still up to mosquito control to actually target these areas to mitigate arboviral epidemics. I was surprised by a review with an entire section devoted to strategies for control and treatment with no comment, guidance or advice on these important issues. Is something missing in such a review of West Nile virus epidemiology? Where are the actual studies during the past 10 years targeted to improving mosquito control effectiveness to reduce West Nile virus transmission to humans? Walter J. Tabachnick, Professor and Director Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory University of Florida, IFAS Vero Beach, Florida 11 Volume 8 Number 5
The deadline for submissions to be included in the Nov/Dec issue of BuzzWords is Dec 1, 2008 Please send change of address or newsletter submissions to: Roxanne Connelly, Editor, 200 9 th Street SE, Vero Beach, FL 32962 or buzzwords@ifas.ufl.edu BuzzWords deadlines for contributing articles and news Jan/Feb February 1 Mar/Apr April 1 May/Jun June 1 Jul/Aug August 1 Sep/Oct October 1 Nov/Dec December 1 Volume 8 Number 5 12