Certification Program to Expand Response Capability for Vector-Borne Disease Outbreaks

Entomological Society of America will train and certify insect scientists to stand ready for CDC Emergency Response Teams

Soon, the public health community will be better equipped to respond to outbreaks of diseases spread by mosquitoes and other arthropod vectors, thanks to a contract awarded to the Entomological Society of America Certification Corporation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Over the course of the next year, the ESA Certification Corporation will train and certify approximately 30 entomologists to participate as entomological specialists on CDC Emergency Response Teams. Adding such expertise to the rapid-response groups will fill a critical void in the CDC’s capacity to guide vector control, an essential component of disease management.

“Medical and veterinary entomologists will ensure that outbreaks of vector-borne illnesses generate the needed entomological response to prevent further spreading of potentially harmful, and at times fatal, diseases—thus protecting public health,” says Zia Siddiqi, Ph.D., BCE, ESA Certification Corporation Board Chair.