Vector-borne diseases spread by ticks and mosquitos, such as Lyme disease and West Nile virus, are estimated to affect hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. Impacts of such diseases can include neuroinvasive disease, long-term sequelae, and death. Climate and environmental changes such as warmer temperatures and increased precipitation can enhance transmission of these diseases in many ways, such as creating more habitat for mosquitos and ticks, increasing the amount of time per year that they are actively reproducing and feeding, and increasing the rate at which they reproduce.
In response to this growing threat, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed “A National Public Health Framework for the Prevention and Control of Vector-Borne Diseases in Humans”. This framework is now being elaborated into a strategic plan with a 15-member interagency working group including NOAA, DOD, USDA, NPS, and NASA. CPO’s Hunter Jones serves on the working group, identifying important collaborations between NOAA and other agencies present to improve our observing, understanding, and prevention of these diseases.
The strategic planning group will complete the plan by the end of 2023. A NOAA review of the draft plan will be conducted prior to publication. NOAA staff interested in contributing to strategic planning are invited to join the monthly NOAA One Health calls (led by Juli Trtanj and Morgan Zabow), or to reach out directly to hunter.jones@noaa.gov to review and provide comments on working drafts.
For more information on the framework, visit the CDC’s website »
For more information, contact Hunter Jones.
