50 - Expanding Surveillance and Laboratory Capacity in the Canyon County Mosquito Abatement District

The Canyon County Mosquito Abatement District (CCMAD) was founded in 1997 with its initial mission centered around mosquito control in the vicinity of Lake Lowell and the Deer Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Western Idaho. Over the years, CCMAD's scope has significantly broadened to encompass all of Canyon County, the second largest population hub within the Boise metropolitan area. The District spans 604 square miles and encompasses diverse mosquito habitats that sustain both pestiferous and disease-vectoring mosquito populations. During the mosquito season, CCMAD conducts routine arbovirus surveillance for West Nile virus (WNV), Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), and western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV). Prior to and including 2023, CCMAD relied on the RAMP testing method for rapid, in-house WNV testing, which provided same-day results. For confirmatory testing, as well as testing for SLEV and WEEV, CCMAD collaborated with the Idaho state laboratory. In 2023, CCMAD’s laboratory surveillance manager successfully presented a proposal to establish in-house RT-qPCR testing capabilities for these three arboviruses, known to be in circulation within CCMAD’s region. The primary objective was to enable CCMAD to conduct accurate arbovirus surveillance, without reliance on confirmatory testing and the state laboratory, for all three viruses while maintaining a swift turnaround time that would facilitate timely decisions for the operational teams, and public health notifications. This presentation will guide you through the process of developing and presenting the proposal to CCMAD’s Board of Commissioners, and ultimately gaining approval to augment CCMAD's laboratory capacity with RT-qPCR arbovirus testing.