105 - Lessons learned from a crisis response workshop session for local mosquito control programs throughout Puerto Rico

Abstract: In April of 2024, the National Association of County and City Health Officials hosted the Vector Control Hurricane Crisis Workshop under a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This workshop brought together local mosquito control professionals from four states and territories that had been affected by Hurricane Ian or Hurricane Fiona in 2022: Florida, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and South Carolina.

Within the workshop, there was a dedicated session for mosquito control professionals from Puerto Rico. This session brought together 25 professionals from across Puerto Rico. While the overall workshop focused on hurricane response and preparedness, during this dedicated session the top concern that emerged was the ongoing dengue epidemic throughout Puerto Rico, the response to which has been complicated by ongoing hurricane and earthquake recovery efforts throughout the island.

Four key issues related to the dengue crisis response were identified: 1. the need for rapid tests and timely notification of infection status to patients and community members 2. the need for additional training for both clinical and non-clinical staff in responding specifically to dengue as compared to other diseases or crises 3. the need for targeted communication with high-risk populations, and 4. the need for compromises between effective mosquito control objectives and environmental protection and conservation efforts.

This workshop highlighted the value of bringing local professionals from different jurisdictions together. While the 25 mosquito control professionals in this session worked in different areas of Puerto Rico, and in different sectors, including community health, clinical services, and government, everyone reported similar challenges with dengue response efforts. In addition, this workshop highlighted the need for multi-crisis response efforts, for example epidemic responses during hurricane recovery efforts, as compared to a sole focus on hurricane response efforts or dengue epidemic response efforts.