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ViewAttendees 9

MUVE

Section Symposium

Oviposition Ecology of Hematophagous Arthropods: Patterns, Processes, and Applications

3: Mosquito oviposition ecology in a community-based mosquito surveillance program

On-Demand
On-Demand
Unfortunately, southern Appalachia is disproportionally affected with cases of La Crosse encephalitis and there are little (to no) mosquito surveillance or control efforts available for this vector-borne disease. Thus, there is a critical need to establish a community-based mosquito surveillance program that can also increase the awareness of entomology and geospatial technologies, develop a workforce with the desire to pursue these careers, and cultivate innovative methods for targeted vector surveillance. As a potential solution to the lack of surveillance efforts in the region, we developed a yearlong Teaching-Research-Extension academy that leverages medical entomology, geospatial techniques, science communication, and educational pedagogies by providing professional development for east Tennessee educators. Known as the MEGA:BITESS academy, we host secondary STEM educators and engage them for classroom implementation, while simultaneously develop a community-driven surveillance program with tailored educational materials. The academy includes in-service workshops, classroom support for educator/student inquiry-driven surveillance programs, and student-developed educational material for the local community. Specifically, as a major part of the program, students design an experiment with educators around Aedes-contaniner oviposition ecology. Preliminary results and findings from the first educator cohort will be discussed along with their potential implications. More information on the academy can be found online(www.megabitess.org).