NEVBD SUMMER INTERNSHIP 2024 Blog - Ramsey Anis

I happened to be concluding my internship experience just as things started to get busy. First, let me backtrack a little bit and provide you all with a refresher. There is a direct purpose to going into the field and collecting samples in a variety of fashions from throughout the state. We send pools of these samples to a lab to be tested for West-Nile Virus (WNV), Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Zika, and other vector borne diseases.  Well, as I arrived on the Monday of my last week, I learned that we had numerous positive pools of both WNV and EEE. WNV is of less concern than EEE, although both are very concerning and harmful. We had positive EEE pools in three different sites. Additionally, there was a positive human case of EEE.  One of the sites is of particular worry because its near a densely populated area of Vermont. As such, the department must spring into action. The people above me were thinking of executing some sort of adult mosquito treatment in the area (I am not su

 On this blog post I will post the collection of pictures I have from throughout my internship! There will be a combination of photos from the field and lab. Enjoy! Here is a picture of me doing tick drags early in the summer. We wore white suits to catch any ticks that might've hopped on to us.  Office shot! A beautiful field of (I think) Ostrich Ferns.  A cool little Leopard frog I saw in the field! The green highlights are amazing.  A real pretty wood frog from the field! Take a look at this Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. Fanning out its wings just for this picture! A cute little salamander found while tick dragging! From the lab, this is something called a 'Pseudoscorpion'. Kinda looks like a scorpion, hence the name.  I thought this was a beautiful shot in Norwich Vermont. This was taken in Groton State Forest, which is the second largest plot of land managed by the state of Vermont.  I found this landscape to be gorgeous. Pictured in Victory Vermont, this was perhaps t

  In this image above you will see two mosquitos. On the left, is a regular old Culiseta melanura. The mosquito on the right is one of the largest known mosquito species found in Northeastern America. It's scientific name is  Psorophora ciliata , and this species is more commonly known by its' unofficial name: the "Gallinipper". The Gallinipper is a rather menacing looking insect, especially considering its size in comparison to a normal mosquito. That thing is a monster!! I want to make this abundantly clear, the mosquito on the left is an average sized mosquito (for size reference). Imagine the mosquito on the right biting you. I mean look at the proboscis on that thing! What makes this find unique is trapping Gallinippers is a rare occurrence. In fact, this was the first one ever trapped by the Vermont State Agency of Agriculture. They are rarely found in the traps we use-- gravid traps, CDC traps, or resting boxes (for more info on traps, checkout some of my other