Steph Andreescu: Weeks 4-7 with the St. Lawrence County Public Health Department

The summer has been flying by, and it's hard to believe I'm already past the halfway point of my internship!

I've enjoyed strengthening my mosquito identification skills and observing how the diversity of mosquito species shifts across the season here in upstate NY. As the summer weather has heated up, we've been collecting a noticeably greater number and variety of mosquitoes. Busier traps mean longer sorting sessions and many more species to learn, but they've also helped me become faster and more confident at sorting! 

One of my new favorite species to spot has been Aedes japonicus, an invasive mosquito with a distinctive pattern of white banding on its legs and silver patches on its abdomen. The bold black-and-white pattern stands out immediately under the microscope and makes the species easy to identify. I've included a photo below!

While most of my time has been spent on mosquito surveillance (trapping, sorting, and identifying), we've also set aside time each week for a group literature review. We each pick a topic related to disease surveillance or public health that interests us, then talk through it together. It's quickly become one of my favorite parts of the week.

Overall, gaining insight into so many aspects of vector-borne disease surveillance and public health in a team-based setting has been extremely rewarding, and I'm looking forward to continuing to sharpen my skills for the rest of my time as a NEVBD intern!





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