Club Meeting: Deadly Mosquitos

This week, Medford Rogue Rotary welcomed Andrew Partin with the Jackson County Vector Control District (JCVCD) for a timely look at the tiny creatures that can create some pretty big public health challenges. Thank you to Bruce Jackson for the introduction.

First, what exactly is a vector? It is an organism that can acquire a pathogen from one host and transmit it to another. Mosquitoes, ticks, and rodents can all serve as vectors for diseases affecting people and animals.

JCVCD has been protecting Jackson County residents since 1968, providing surveillance and control of mosquitoes, ticks, rodents and flies. The district also tests mosquitoes and ticks for disease, including West Nile virus, Lyme disease, hard tick relapsing fever and anaplasmosis. Bringing testing in-house has shortened the time between identifying a potential problem and being able to respond.

A New Mosquito Has Arrived

One of the biggest new challenges is Aedes aegypti, an invasive mosquito species that was detected in Talent in 2024 and Ashland in 2025, the first records of the species in Oregon. The mosquito is already well established farther south, including the Redding area, and unlike many mosquitoes, it thrives in urban environments and aggressively targets humans.

Its arrival has dramatically increased demand for JCVCD services. Public service requests in Talent jumped from just a few dozen in 2023 to 2,268 in 2024, and the district placed more than 1,000 additional traps in 2024 and 2025 specifically to monitor the new species.

The preferred strategy is not simply spraying adult mosquitoes. JCVCD works to eliminate breeding sources, especially standing water, and treat water during the mosquito’s younger life stages before the insects become flying adults. It is a good reminder that the forgotten bucket, planter tray or other small collection of water around a home can matter. Check out this upcoming Tire Recycling Day September 3rd & 4th | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM https://jcvcd.gov/free-tire-recycle-drive/

Meeting a Growing Need

JCVCD is an Oregon special district funded through a dedicated property tax levy rather than Jackson County funding. Its current levy dates back decades, while the scope and cost of its work have changed considerably.

The district is seeking an additional $0.05 per $1,000 of assessed property value, estimated during the presentation at roughly $15 per year for a typical household. Additional funding would support another technician, expanded mosquito and tick surveillance, additional disease testing and mosquito-source control, continued free tire recycling and rodent and fly-control materials, and more public education.

The presentation was a fascinating reminder that some of the most important public health work happens quietly in the background. Or, in this case, with traps, microscopes, standing water and a whole lot of mosquitoes.

Thank you to Andrew for joining us and giving our members a closer look at how JCVCD works to protect both public health and quality of life throughout Jackson County.