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Analyzing the West Nile Virus 2014 outbreak in Orange County

Organization(s):Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) GLOBE v-School
Country:United States of America
Student(s):Catalina Barrientes, Marvel Hanna, Tristin Perkins
Grade Level:Secondary School (grades 9-12, ages 14-18)
GLOBE Educator(s):Cassie Soeffing
Contributors:Dr. Rusty Low, IGES, scientist Peder Nelson, OSU, sme Dr. Erika Podest, NASA JPL, scientist Andrew Clark, IGES, EO Researcher and Data Analyst
Report Type(s):International Virtual Science Symposium Report, Mission Mosquito Report
Protocols:Earth As a System, Mosquitoes
Presentation Video: View Video
Presentation Poster: View Document
Language(s):English
Date Submitted:01/23/2023
Mosquito-borne diseases are major threats to public health across the world. Therefore, it is crucial to analyze mosquito-borne disease outbreaks to determine which factors increase mosquito breedings and diseases. We investigated the correlation between droughts and waste management with the 2014 West Nile Virus outbreak in Orange County. We hypothesized that waste management contributed to the 2014 Orange County West Nile Virus outbreak. We gathered precipitation, land cover, and waste management data from the time frame 2011-2018. We collected data from GLOBE Observer, Giovanni NASA earth science data, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Collect Earth Online, and Orange County Mosquito and vector control district. We found that 2014 showed an increase in Orange County’s waste production as well as statistical significance between the average perception of 2013 compared to 2011. We concluded that though the drought was the major cause of the 2014 WNV in Orange County as proven by experts, the increase in waste production may have also contributed to the rise of WNV human cases. This stresses the importance of the need for an increase in waste management in Orange County as it provides a sanitized environment, decreases WNV human cases, and improves the economy through methods such as recycling. Keywords: mosquitoes, Orange County, rainfall, West Nile Virus, waste management


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