Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases

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PROJECT SUMMARY The Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (PacVec) offers an opportunity to address an urgent and compelling public health challenge—the ongoing rise in vector-borne diseases, particularly those transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks—by leveraging the resources of seven leading research and teaching institutions that have well-established partnerships with a strong cadre of mosquito control and public health agencies around our region. Vector-borne diseases have been increasing in prevalence in the U.S., emerging at a frequency higher than that of other infectious diseases. The impact of this trend is keenly felt in the Pacific Southwest and our US-affiliated Pacific Islands, with our large and diverse population and our position as a global hub for travel and commerce. Many of our public-health and vector-control partners are also national leaders in terms of expertise and resources to combat vector-borne diseases, and PacVec presents an excellent opportunity for knowledge exchange and capacity strengthening through sharing of knowledge across our community of practice and through collaboration with other CoEs. PacVec seeks to build on our successful efforts of the last five years to continue to expand local communities of practice throughout the Pacific Southwest and US-affiliated Pacific Islands. We plan to conduct a wide range of research projects to rigorously evaluate both new and existing methods to prevent tick- and mosquito-borne diseases, and to engage and train a culturally diverse workforce reflective of the racial and ethnic diversity of the region and knowledgeable in their respective fields (e.g. public health, vector control, entomology). Our plans have been developed through constant engagement between PacVec’s Leadership Team and our public health and vector control partners throughout the region to address our most pressing vector-borne disease needs.