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Short Bites Monthly

Your digest for August 2024.

Illustration of a hand holding a smartphone with a mosquito image on the screen and the text "August Update".
Short Bites Monthly ensures that our data as a public health agency remains transparent to the public and to people who are interested in our mission.
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We continue to provide the highest level of protection from vectors and vector-borne diseases to reduce outbreaks of human diseases in San Gabriel Valley.

 District Communication

A person watering lily pads in a garden pond.
Image of our Vector Control Technician delivering mosquito fish to a resident as a form of biological mosquito control.

This month, we attended several National Night Out events and gave away repellent wipes to event attendees. We also conducted enhanced neighborhood support in high mosquito activity neighborhoods and conducted outreach at a back-to-school event.

Remember that West Nile Virus is “in season” and endemic to Southern California. Stay informed with the latest West Nile Virus activity in San Gabriel Valley on our website (www.sgvmosquito.org) and social media platforms (@sgvmosquito).

Outreach Overview

A circular infographic titled "August Outreach" showing statistics on social media, in-person, newsletter, and EcoHealth reach with associated engagement numbers.
Image of outreach stats for the past month.

Mosquito Activity Overview

Our District’s surveillance team reports mosquito trap activity. The purpose of trapping is to monitor mosquito presence and risk of mosquito-borne disease. 

A line graph showing average mosquitoes per trap over various weeks for the years 2020 to 2024, with a noticeable peak in one year.
Image of trap report comparing weekly average comparison from 2020-2024.

This month’s report shows that 2024 trapping (red) is recording lower abundance numbers compared to past years.

This means that the SGV region overall is experiencing lower Culex mosquito numbers and lower West Nile virus activity. However, September and October are the peak months for Aedes mosquito activity and you can expect to see more of Aedes mosquitoes in the coming weeks.

We recommend creating a property source reduction and repellent use routine.

A map featuring the area around Pasadena, CA, with blue dots likely indicating specific locations or data points.
Image of this month's mosquito activity by latitude and longitude. Bubble size indicates mosquito abundunce per trap.
May contain: animal, insect, invertebrate, and mosquito
We continue to maintain essential vector surveillance including mosquito traps for disease testing, providing weekly data to the District, and maintaining mosquito fish.
A person using a microscope in a lab setting.
Image of our Vector Control Specialist identifying mosquito species from an activity monitoring trap.

Mosquito Species Overview

This month, we conducted mosquito, black fly, and tick trapping throughout San Gabriel Valley.

See this month’s mosquito species report below:

Pie chart showing proportions of mosquito species, with Cx quinquefasciatus dominating at 69.55% and Ae aegypti at 18.61%. Other species have smaller shares.
This chart depicts the overall abundance of mosquitoes collected during the current reporting period. Species listed on the far right are sorted by total amount collected during this reporting period.
May contain: animal, insect, and invertebrate
We continue to provide excellent science education services and reduce mosquitoes in homes and schools within the San Gabriel Valley.

EcoHealth Highlights

Our Fall EcoHealth programs have commenced! This month, we welcomed new and returning teachers to our V.I.P. and Operation Mosquito G.R.I.D. porgrams.

Three people using microscopes in a laboratory.
Image of new teachers identifying mosquito larvae in preparation for our Fall EcoHealth programs.

District Resources to Share

West Nile Virus Activity in San Gabriel Valley 2024 

Stay updated with the latest West Nile Virus news in San Gabriel Valley.

 

Link to West Nile Virus Activity in San Gabriel Valley 2024

https://www.sgvmosquito.org/2024-08-28-west-nile-virus-update-august-28-2024 

 

Kick Mosquitoes Out of the Classroom 

Go back to school in style - without mosquito bites. Share our tips for a bite-free classroom experience and check out our FREE, NGSS-aligned school programs.

 

Link to Kick Mosquitoes Out of the Classroom

https://www.vectoreducation.org/kickmosquitoesoutofschool

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Communications Department Mission Statement:

Increase transparency and credibility through multi-media dialogue in order to engage and motivate internal, local, regional, statewide, and nationwide stakeholders to take action and become public health agents of change in their communities.

 

🖋  Written by Ally Gaspar, Outreach Assistant