NEVBD-TEC Summer Internship Program

 In my fourth week at the ABDL, I spent a lot of time gathering sources for my project and continued my draft. While doing research, I learned so much about tick-borne diseases and how factors like climate change and habitat modification are contributing to the expansion of tick populations into the Northeastern United States. I got to practice data analysis and use my research skills to further improve my project. In the fourth week, I also had lots of practice sorting the ticks | had collected previously from different sites. As I continue to work at the microscope, I feel increasingly confident in my abilities to identify ticks. We were also able to go to some beautiful sites on Long Island, and I got more experience out in the field flagging for ticks. I also got to attend an informational council meeting that discussed deer, ticks, prevention, and tick-borne diseases in Suffolk County. This was a great opportunity for learning about public health strategies in real time, which...

I can't believe three weeks have already passed; it's gone by so fast! For the past three weeks, I have been doing surveillance on Aedes Albopictus mosquitoes and various other tasks around the lab. During my first week, I was learning the ropes of setting up OVI-position and BG-GAT traps and the exact routes that I go to every Tuesday and Wednesday. Since Aedes Albopictus is attracted to tires, there are a lot of tire shops, often used tire shops, that are on the route. During my first week, I also learned how to make the solution that we use for the OVI-position at GAT traps, which includes hay, oak leaves, yeast, and lactalbumin (picture shown is setting up the solution before we head out on routes).  After my first week, I was able to start my Aedes Albopictus surveillance route solo. I was able to retrieve samples from the OVI position and GAT traps from all the sites and refill the traps with solution. I ran into a roadblock with one of the GAT traps having been broken w...

I finished my first two weeks at the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC)! I started the summer off strong with a lot of field work across the state of Delaware. Every two weeks, we rotate parks and drag for ticks for one kilometer, and then take the ticks back to the office for identification and data collection. We do this to monitor tick populations, their behavior, and their ecology across different areas as the year goes by. On top of tick dragging, we also work with many different wildlife biologists to collect ticks from different animals such as birds, foxes, and squirrels.  When I'm not in the field or lab, I am constantly learning from other experts and how we all work together. A great example of this was the Delaware One Health Conference, where I had the opportunity to listen to presentations on new research, technology, and public health topics. This conference really highlighted how interconnected we are and the importance of eff...

Today marks two whole weeks of my time at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health Vector Control Department. Instead of sitting through an introductory presentation on my first day, I was thrown into the field and learned things as I went. During the first week, I was taught how to put together and place gravid traps to catch gravid (egg-laying) mosquitos. The process was much more simple that I thought it would be, using a bin and a toolbox-esque trap with a fan, battery, and collection box. We would leave multiple traps throughout the city and come pick them up after 24 hours. After collecting the traps, we noted the date, times, and locations where each trap was found. When we made it back to the department building, we froze the collection boxes and collected  freeze the collection boxes and approximate how many mosquitoes were in each trap. By the second week we were setting BG traps throughout the city and practicing how to set them up and take them down for data collect...

I have officially completed the first two weeks of my internship with the DNREC Fish and Wildlife Division, where I work primarily with the tick biologists while also helping with the mosquito section. From my very first day, I was thrown right into the field, traveling to parks and wildlife areas throughout Delaware to collect ticks using a tick-dragging technique. We have mainly collected lone star ticks, blacklegged ticks, and American dog ticks, and after returning to the office, we use a microscope to identify and sort the different species. Our main goal throughout this process is to sort and identify the collected ticks so they can be sent to the CDC and microbiologists for pathogen testing and disease surveillance. One of the most interesting experiences so far was helping remove ticks from deceased foxes that were being examined to determine what tick species they carried. I also learned a fun fact that foxes are the only mammals known to have ticks burrow beneath their sk...

For the past three weeks, I have been working at the Virginia Department of Health under the supervision of the Epidemiology team. It has been an incredible learning experience so far! Week 1: I completed initial training modules and attended state epidemiology calls and joint meetings with the Department of Forestry on invasive species. To support our upcoming field work, we learned about Wavyleaf grass and Beech Leaf Disease so that if encountered we know what it is and to report it! This week we have also gotten into tick basics and practicing microscope identification. This was hard for me since I don't have a lot of practice in insect identification but the keys and trainings have been incredibly helpful for me! Week 2:  This week we transitioned into the field to conduct our first tick drags! After a group training session to learn the technique, we did a second drag at a location I selected. I have been assigned the task of finding a site in which I can conduct routine drag...