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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Michael J. Kazda, MA, Dorian Villegas, MPH, and Witold Migala, PhD, MPH. Public Health Department/Epidemiology, City of Fort Worth, 1800 University Drive, Room 218, Fort Worth, TX 76107, 817-871-7362, Dorian.Villegas@fortworthgov.org

West Nile virus (WNV) persists as a concern for public health practitioners tasked with conducting surveillance and mosquito control programs. As many of the data collected and utilized in these activities have a spatial component, they may be best managed in a geographic information system (GIS). The City of Fort Worth Public Health Department participates in a municipal enterprise GIS for the maintenance and sharing of geographic data, applications, and resources. The department routinely collects and maintains data from dead bird reports, mosquito complaints, testing sites, vector control activities, and human cases of WNV. Reports of dead birds are used in conjunction with mosquito complaint, hydrology and digital orthophotography data to inform site selection for mosquito testing and control activities. Upon receipt of positive test results, map products are issued to vector control staff displaying digital orthophotography images and hydrological features as well as other municipal infrastructure data. A half-mile radius is constructed around the site of a positive result and forms the boundary of an initial response area. Community asset data such as libraries, neighborhood associations, community centers, and churches are extracted from this response area and are utilized as distribution points for educational materials and interventions. The integration of data in a GIS for WNV surveillance and mosquito control has resulted in an efficient delivery of services and outreach to community partners. Unlike many other municipalities, Fort Worth has not been required to apply pesticides to reduce the adult mosquito population.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the use of GIS in West Nile virus surveillance and mosquito control;
• Recognize the benefits of integrating data utilizing the GIS platform;
• Understand the benefits of a GIS based surveillance system in performing spatial analyses and informing geographically targeted interventions.

Keywords: Geographic Information Systems, Surveillance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation