You Say
Mosquito,
I say Mosquit-NO!
DSHS Vector Control Response
Operating Guidelines (ROG)
Rick Bays
Dr. Laura Robinson
Texas Emergency Management Conference 2012
ROG Purpose
● Flooding events can produce increases in biting
mosquitoes in a short period of time with
breeding grounds in the standing water
● After an incident, an increased
proliferation of mosquitoes creates:
◦ Possible vector control concerns
◦ Nuisance mosquitoes hindering
response and recovery efforts
● DSHS and many local jurisdictions did not have an
appropriate plan for increased mosquito
population
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www.dshs.state.tx.us/commprep/response/ROG.aspx
Texas Emergency Management Conference 2012
Vector Concerns
● Increased mosquitoes = Increased risks
● Viral mosquito-transmitted diseases
can initiate, prolong or expand to
an epidemic
● Promoting or intensifying
virus amplification
increases human
exposure (residents or
responders)
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Vector Control
● Abatement activities should focus on
high population density areas to be
most cost-effective
● Chemical suppressions measures:
◦ Ground-based
◦ Aerial Spraying
▪Pest Control Contract
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Ground-based
● Needs to be used in conjunction with
appropriate surveillance-based methods
● Uses equipment requiring expertise,
applicator licensure and training
● Document:
◦ Areas treated
◦ Name
◦ Concentration
◦ Amount of chemical
◦ Name of licensed applicator
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Aerial Spraying
● Only when vector mosquitoes with
infection are present (lab test
confirmed) and/or
● When recovery efforts are impeded by
nuisance mosquitoes (indicated by
surveillance data)
● Expensive
● Can only be completed
when weather
conditions are right
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Pest Control Contract
● Emergency management contract,
including aerial spraying for mosquitoes.
● Local jurisdictions can access thru Texas
Procurement and Support Services
Cooperative Purchasing Program
● Contract # 988-M1 @
http://www.window.state.tx.us/procure
ment/contracts/
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Local Vector Response
● DSHS has no ongoing “routine”
mosquito abatement program
● Initial response should be addressed in
local mosquito vector control plans
● Locals monitor levels and types of
vector mosquito populations with
associated viral infections
in their areas
● All surveillance activities
must be documented
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Local Vector Surveillance
● Surveillance activities should be done
for both larval and adult mosquitoes
● Larval - presence of mosquito larvae in
standing water
● Adults - landing rates and mosquito
counts from light traps
● Verify abundance and
species with
submission to DSHS
Lab for virus isolation
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Local Documentation
● Thoroughly document during
entirety of event:
◦ Expenditures
◦ Surveillance activities
◦ Treatment and abatement
◦ Inventories at:
▪Beginning of response
▪Addition of any purchases
▪Ending inventory
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State Response
● Health Service Regions (HSR):
◦ Assist locals in surveillance activities
◦ Accumulate information and data from
jurisdictions within the HSR
◦ Forward documentation to the SMOC
◦ Provide technical assistance to locals
● DSHS Central Office:
◦ Assesses health threats to
give mosquito control
measure recommendations
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State Response
● Compiles data and information to make
determinations of treatment based on:
◦ Vector disease threat
◦ Mosquito landing rate counts
◦ Status of incident
◦ Historical disease prevalence
◦ Impact on response and
recovery efforts
● Laboratory testing of
mosquitoes trapped and
submitted by locals
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State Response
● Can initiate Vector Field Response team
to provide assistance and coordination
to local and regional jurisdictions
● Consults with the CDC vector-borne
disease experts on issues of mosquito
control and criteria for FEMA support
● DSHS may do cost sharing contracts or
agreements with locals
to provide mosquito
abatement resources
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Federal Response
● FEMA & CDC determine level of
mosquito activity required for federal
support and/or reimbursement
● FEMA & CDC determine time frame for
federally-supported mosquito control
activities
● For FEMA reimbursement, specific
scientific surveillance data is required
by state and local jurisdictions
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Mosquito-borne
Diseases and Mosquito
Vector Species in Texas
DSHS
Vector Control ROG
Attachment 1
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Diseases of Concern: Malaria
● Parasite carried by mosquitoes
● Curable if diagnosed/treated promptly
● Symptoms ~7 to 30 days following a
bite from infected mosquito
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Human Cases in Texas
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Arbovirus
West Nile Virus
St. Louis Encephalitis
Virus
Eastern Equine
Encephalitis Virus
Western Equine
Encephalitis Virus
California Serogroup
Viruses
Dengue
Major Mosquito Vector
Species
Culex quinquefasciatus,
Culex tarsalis
Culex quinquefasciatus,
Culex tarsalis,
Culex nigripalpus
Aedes vexans,
Coquellettidia perturbans
Culex tarsalis
Aedes triseriatus
Aedes aegypti,
Aedes albopictus
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Diseases of Concern:
West Nile Fever/Encephalitis
● Transmitted by mosquito bite
● No specific treatment
● Symptoms ~7 to 14 days following a
bite from infected mosquito
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West Nile Virus
Mosquito Vector Distribution
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Diseases of Concern: Dengue
● Transmitted by mosquito bite
● Caused by any of four related viruses
● No vaccines to prevent infection
● No medications to treat infections
● Symptoms ~4 to 7 days following a bite
and last 3-10 days
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Dengue Virus
Mosquito Vector Distribution
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Diseases of Concern:
St. Louis Encephalitis
● Transmitted by mosquito bite
● No specific treatment
● Care is based on symptoms
● Symptoms ~5 to 15 days
following a bite from
infected mosquito
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St. Louis Encephalitis Virus
Mosquito Vector Distribution
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Equine Encephalitis Viruses
Mosquito Vector Distribution
Western Equine
Eastern Equine
Encephalitis Virus Encephalitis Virus
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Arbovirus Surveillance
Guidelines
DSHS Vector Control ROG
Attachments 3 - 7
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Mosquito Surveillance
● Identify locations within the impacted areas
that have standing water that could be
possible breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
◦ Highly populated areas with standing water
● Collect both larval and adult mosquitoes in
affected areas to identify potential threats to
emergency workers and local residents
required to work outdoors.
● All surveillance sites and activities must be
thoroughly documented.
◦ Use GPS equipment to obtain longitude and
latitude
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Larval Mosquito Surveillance
● Surveying for the presence of mosquito larvae
in standing water is an important component of
an Integrated Mosquito Management program.
● Surveying for mosquito larvae is usually done
with a white dipper that has a handle about 3’
to 4’ long attached to it.
● A specific dipper volume is not as important as
using the same-sized dipper for repeated
measurements over time.
● Document the counts and calculate the Index
of Abundance on Mosquito Larval Surveillance
Form (Attachment 3, Vector Control ROG).
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Adult Mosquito Surveillance
● As soon as weather permits following the
event, begin performing and documenting
morning mosquito landing rate counts in
populated areas prior to intervention
(Attachments 4 and 5, Vector Control ROG).
● Perform and document mosquito landing rate
counts following intervention to document
efficacy.
● All adult surveillance activities must be
completed and the information provided on
how response and recovery efforts are
hampered by the determined mosquito activity.
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Adult Mosquito Surveillance
● As soon as weather permits following the
event, perform adult mosquito collections in
the evening to verify abundance and species
of mosquitoes in the affected populated areas
(Attachments 6, 7 and 8, Vector Control
ROG).
● Use gravid traps or light traps depending on
types of mosquitoes being targeted.
● Submit to DSHS Laboratory for species
identification and virus isolation.
● Ideally, these can be compared to pre-event
mosquito collections in the same jurisdiction.
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Mosquito Light Trap
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Mosquito Gravid Trap
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DSHS Zoonosis Control
Regional Offices
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