Short Bites Monthly

Your digest for December 2025.

A hand holds a smartphone displaying an insect, with a “December Update” text and graphic elements in the background.

This Short Bites Monthly e-blast shares insight into the past year’s activity. This ensures that our data as a public health agency remains transparent to the public and to people who are interested in our mission.

A Year in Review: Protecting Health Across the San Gabriel Valley

In 2025, our focus remained clear: protecting the health and safety of San Gabriel Valley residents. Through strong community presence, proactive disease control, and accessible education, we continued to show how much we care in every season and in every neighborhood.

The image features two professionals, a diverse team, alongside a service truck, promoting community engagement. — **We continue to provide the highest level of protection from vectors and vector-borne diseases to reduce outbreaks of human diseases in San Gabriel Valley.**

We believe public health starts with trust, visibility, and connection.

In 2025, we showed up for our communities by:

Connecting with residents through community events, school programs, senior center presentations, and neighborhood outreach
Supporting fire-affected communities by conducting pool checks, increasing mosquito monitoring, and providing guidance during recovery
Sharing timely updates through social media, newsletters, public health posters, and QR-linked treatment pages
Reaching hundreds of thousands of residents through in-person and digital outreach

Our goal was simple: keep residents informed, supported, and empowered to take action.

The image features a stylized mosquito and text emphasizing "IN DISEASE CONTROL," highlighting the role of mosquitoes in disease transmission. — **We continue to maintain essential vector surveillance including mosquito traps for disease testing, providing weekly data to** **the District, and maintaining** **mosquito fish**.

Protecting public health requires science-driven action and rapid response.

A person in a blue shirt inspects a dirty hot tub with a stick, surrounded by a fenced area and overgrown plants. — *Image of a Vector Control Specialist inspecting an unmaintained pool in the Eaton burn area that has been previously treated for mosquitoes.*

This year, our disease control efforts included:

Maintaining year-round mosquito surveillance with traps and disease testing across the San Gabriel Valley
Using weekly data to guide targeted, environmentally responsible treatments
Responding to West Nile virus activity using early warning systems like dead bird reports
Expanding surveillance and control efforts following the first locally acquired dengue case in the Valley
Launching SGV Mosquito Match, an innovative, sustainable program to reduce invasive Aedes mosquitoes using Sterile Insect Technique
Treating high-risk areas, including unmaintained pools and burn-affected zones, to prevent large-scale mosquito breeding

A person in gloves examines a Petri dish in a lab, surrounded by lab equipment, tools, and notes. — *Image of a Vector Control Specialist identifying trap findings in the lab.*

Every action was taken with one goal in mind: reducing disease risk before it reaches our communities.

The image features the phrase "IN EDUCATION," an illustration of a magnifying glass, and cartoon mosquitoes, suggesting a focus on mosquito-related topics in education. — **We continue to provide excellent** **science education** **services and** **reduce mosquitoes in homes and schools** **within the San Gabriel Valley.**

Education empowers residents to protect themselves and each other.

A woman in a blue jacket is being interviewed in front of a colorful mural, while another interviewer holds a microphone. — *Image of the Director of Communications providing the media an update on our Eaton response efforts.*

In 2025, our education efforts focused on:

Delivering hands-on science education through EcoHealth programs, classrooms, and community events
Engaging students with interactive learning, including a Larva Lab at big events, classroom microscope discoveries, and mosquito life cycle activities
Empowering students through community science programs like the Vector Inspector Program (V.I.P.) and Operation Mosquito GRID
Recognizing outstanding educators and students who made meaningful contributions to public health
Providing residents with clear, practical prevention guidance, including Tip, Toss, and Protect messaging

Two women in blue shirts are working at a table with documents, jars, and equipment in a classroom setting. — *Image of our Education Specialists preparing interactive materials for a community science classroom visit.*

By making science approachable and relevant, we helped turn awareness into everyday action.

Public Health in Action: SGV Mosquito & Vector Control District Year in Review

Looking Ahead

A scenic view of a suburban area with houses nestled among greenery, set against a backdrop of mountains and a cloudy sky. — *Image of the San Gabriel Valley.*

As we head into the new year, our commitment remains the same: protect health, earn trust, and serve the San Gabriel Valley with care and transparency. Thank you for being an essential part of this work.

Stay safe, stay healthy, & stay bite-free.

An invitation to stay updated, featuring a laptop graphic with imagery related to mosquitoes.

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District Mission: Providing the highest level of protection from vectors & vector-borne diseases in San Gabriel Valley.

🖋 Written by Ally Gaspar