We started our session with a discussion of our strengths. We felt that there was a strong educational system in place to train scientists and professionals. The small size of our state was viewed as an advantage, allowing excellent communication and the ability to make rapid changes. The county-level execution of vector control programs was also viewed as a strength because programs are tailored to meet local needs. Dedicated people back these county programs. In general, the group thought that the vector control community has a positive public perception. Specifically we felt that the NJ vector control community has a strong national reputation based on our long history and the sharing of our knowledge with others.

We followed with a discussion of our weaknesses. Some felt that many of the pesticide regulations are too restrictive. Overall, our focus is too narrow on mosquitoes, humans, and human diseases. Although our vector control programs are proactive, our response to disease outbreaks is entirely reactive. The long history of many of our programs leads to resistance to change. There is a lack of communication between local agencies such as mosquito control programs and local health officials. A recurring theme in this discussion was a lack of public exposure. Our visibility is poor, cultural/language barriers exist, and we do not work enough on public relations by promoting what we do and why we do it. Without visibility the public is unlikely to assist in reducing vector problems and although many mosquito control programs have the ability to enforce compliance, they do not. This lack of visibility also results in little political strength for our community. Finally, we may not be aware of all of the funding opportunities available, especially federal.

Fortunately, these weaknesses provide many opportunities. We felt that we should expand our community to include other unconventional partners such as the pest control and landscape industries, parks departments, wildlife and veterinary groups, etc. These groups could assist in source-reduction efforts, especially on an individual scale and provide alternative sources of funding and support. The vector control community can broaden its focus by including other vectors such as ticks, including zoonotic diseases, and by screening for emerging diseases. We can invest in the future of our community by increasing our utilization of the internship program and expanding the entomology minor at Rutgers to a major. We can improve our visibility by interacting with a broader audience through various state and local agencies and taking part in additional outreach opportunities. We felt that a standardized outreach program would be beneficial for providing a uniform message to the public. We proposed the creation o f that would include signs posted in public places to let people know that the area is under routine surveillance for mosquitoes. We also felt that a media liaison or public relations consultant could provide assistance in this area. To improve our political strength we should seek out people in our community with political experience and ask for assistance, increase our participation in Washington Day through the AMCA, put a monetary value on the cost of vectored diseases in NJ, and seek the assistance of professional lobbyers.

There are many threats and challenges to the progress of our efforts. Funding is an issue as budgets are decreasing. Public reaction to our efforts is not always positive. Climate change may increase vector problems. Increased globalization could result in an onslaught of imported vectors and diseases. Privatization of government programs may result in the loss of control over vector control programs. The number of available pesticides for vector control is limited. There is a shortage of trained professionals especially in the field of medical entomology. Communication and the dissemination of knowledge to the public is difficult. Despite these impediments, the group thought that the vector control community and the Center for Vector Biology was prepared to rise to the occasion.