Cooperative Agreement 02F09301

DESCRIPTION:IN THIS PROJECT, THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE MOSQUITO CONTROL PROGRAM PROPOSES TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE IN AT-RISK AND TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS BY ENHANCING AND INCREASING EXISTING MOSQUITO SURVEILLANCE AND DISEASE MONITORING EFFORTS IN THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE AND BERNALILLO COUNTY, NEW MEXICO. SINCE ITS INTRODUCTION IN 2018, AND SUBSEQUENT RAPID EXPANSION AND ESTABLISHMENT, THE INVASIVE MOSQUITO SPECIES AEDES AEGYPTI (THE YELLOW FEVER MOSQUITO), HAS HAD A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN ALBUQUERQUE AND THE SURROUNDING METROPOLITAN AREA OF BERNALILLO COUNTY. EFFORTS FUNDED BY THIS PROPOSAL WOULD INCREASE MOSQUITO SURVEILLANCE, DISEASE MONITORING, AND OUTREACH AND EDUCATION IN RESPONSE TO THIS EMERGING THREAT.ACTIVITIES:THIS PROJECT PROPOSES TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE IN AT-RISK AND TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS BY ENHANCING AND INCREASING EXISTING MOSQUITO SURVEILLANCE AND DISEASE MONITORING EFFORTS IN THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE AND BERNALILLO COUNTY, NEW MEXICO. SINCE ITS INTRODUCTION IN 2018, AND SUBSEQUENT RAPID EXPANSION AND ESTABLISHMENT, THE INVASIVE MOSQUITO SPECIES AEDES AEGYPTI (THE YELLOW FEVER MOSQUITO), HAS HAD A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE AND SURROUNDING METROPOLITAN AREA OF BERNALILLO COUNTY. EFFORTS FUNDED BY THIS PROPOSAL WOULD INCREASE MOSQUITO SURVEILLANCE, DISEASE MONITORING, AND OUTREACH AND EDUCATION IN RESPONSE TO THIS EMERGING THREAT. THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S URBAN BIOLOGY DIVISION (UBD) MOSQUITO CONTROL PROGRAM OPERATES UNDER PRINCIPLES OF INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM). FUNDING WOULD IMPROVE UBD'S ABILITY TO ADAPT CONTROL RESPONSES TO BETTER ADDRESS CURRENT CONDITIONS IN THE AREA. THE PROPOSED OUTREACH AND EDUCATION EFFORTS WILL EMPOWER CITIZENS TO TAKE IPM ACTIONS ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY TO REDUCE AE. AEGYPTI AND OTHER MOSQUITO POPULATIONS, THAT DO NOT INVOLVE HOME USE OF PESTICIDES, THEREBY INCREASING QUALITY OF LIFE AND PREVENTING POLLUTION AND PROMOTING A HEALTHIER HOME ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL, INCLUDING CHILDREN. FUNDING FROM THIS PROPOSAL WOULD BE USED TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY AND QUALITY FOR SURVEILLANCE AND DISEASE MONITORING IN AT-RISK AREAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE AND BERNALILLO COUNTY. UBD OFFERS EPA A PARTNER TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND RESILIENCE OF THIS KEYSTONE MONITORING PROGRAM IN ALBUQUERQUE AND BERNALILLO COUNTY, NEW MEXICO, WHERE HUMAN POPULATIONS ARE DENSE ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN LARGE POPULATIONS OF THIS IMPORTANT VECTOR SPECIES. SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:THE OBJECTIVES FOR OPTIMIZING UBD'S IPM PROGRAM ARE TO INCREASE MOSQUITO SURVEILLANCE, EXPAND ARBOVIRUS TESTING, AND ENHANCE OUTREACH EFFORTS. INCREASED SURVEILLANCE IN AREAS THAT PREVIOUS MONITORING EFFORTS HAVE NOT COVERED WILL ALLOW FOR PROPER IPM RESOURCE ALLOCATION IN THOSE AREAS, ENHANCED ARBOVIRUS DETECTION, AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES. THIS INCREASE IN OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES WILL EXPOSE ADDITIONAL GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS WHERE PREVIOUSLY UNDETECTED MOSQUITO POPULATIONS COULD BE AFFECTING QUALITY OF LIFE AND INCREASE UBD'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE ACCURATE INFORMATION ON MOSQUITO CONTROL TECHNIQUES. UBD WILL BE ABLE TO REALLOCATE ADDITIONAL IPM DRIVEN RESOURCES INTO THOSE IDENTIFIED GEOGRAPHIC AREAS IF NECESSARY. OPTIMIZING IPM EFFORTS THROUGHOUT ALBUQUERQUE AND BERNALILLO COUNTY WILL INEVITABLY FREE UP RESOURCES TO ALLOW THE PROGRAM TO REACH A WIDER RANGE OF CITIZENS. SURVEILLANCE WILL CONSIST OF CONTINUING TO MONITOR ESTABLISHED COLLECTION SITES THROUGHOUT BERNALILLO COUNTY AND INCREASING AE. AEGYPTI TARGETED SURVEILLANCE IN NEWLY ESTABLISHED SITES. ARBOVIRUS TESTING WILL BE EXPANDED THROUGH THE USE OF RT-PCR TO ALLOW FOR THE ADDITION OF ZIKA, DENGUE, CHIKUNGUNYA, WESTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS, AND ST. LOUIS ENCEPHALITIS. IN-PERSON AND ONLINE OUTREACH AND EDUCATION EVENTS INCLUDING NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS AND COMMUNITY CENTER EVENTS W