The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that ticks are out this summer, and early reports indicate 2026 may be a record-breaking year for tick bites. Virginia Tech communication professors are partnering with the CDC to help prevent diseases that ticks and mosquitoes can bring.
In recent years, the south has seen cases of mosquito borne diseases, like malaria and dengue fever. Diseases like Lyme and alpha gal, transmitted by ticks, are also increasing.
“For many, many reasons, the Gulf South is sort of the front line of vector borne disease spread,” said Rachel Lynn Weaver, an associate professor of Creative Technologies at Virginia Tech and a documentary filmmaker for the public health project, called Gulf South VECTOR.
Weaver and Rachael Paine, an assistant professor of graphic design, are working with a team of students and filmmakers to produce high-quality photos, videos and graphics to help health departments and officials communicate with the public how to prevent the spread of vector borne diseases.
“And that includes any species that carries vector borne diseases that could infect humans. And that includes rats, ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, Paine explained.
After extreme weather, like hurricanes, the number of vector-borne diseases often spikes. As these events become more common due to climate change, and other factors drive up tick and mosquito populations, getting this information to the public will be even more important.
“And the question is not if, but when, those will become a more significant issue,” Weaver said.
She said the project aims to help health officials across the South coordinate information about vector borne diseases.
“Covid revealed that there were real gaps in communication across different states when it comes to sharing of health and disease data and resources and knowledge,” Weaver said.
The CDC funded Gulf South VECTOR for five years. The project is in its third year. The team includes over 50 health experts, government officials, and artists across the south.
