Summary:

This is the last and final research component of my dissertation and I am excited to start working on it shortly! 

West Nile Virus (WNV) was introduced to the U.S. in 1999, reached the West Coast by 2003. Birds are the primary hosts, and their migratory routes are thought to have contributed to its spread. WNV cases are highest in Central Valley counties, where climate change is expected to drive more extreme weather events, including prolonged droughts (e.g., 2010–2017) and atmospheric rivers (e.g., 2023–2024). The region’s landscape has been heavily modified by agriculture and urbanization, yet how these changes influence avian WNV hosts remains unclear. My research will integrate data from eBird, USGS, and state source to predict how extreme weather may alter disease dynamics.

Questions:

1) How do drought-driven habitat shifts of WNV-competent bird species in the San Joaquin Valley vary across irrigated agriculture, urban/suburban, and natural habitats during the spring–summer amplification period?

1. • Do reservoir host model responses align in space/time with positive WNV mosquito pools in Kern County?