Media Advisory: Zika Symposium at the 2016 International Congress of Entomology in Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- News reporters are invited to attend a symposium on the Zika virus, which will take place on Monday, September 26, 2016, 9:15 AM - 12:30 PM in Orlando, Florida during the 2016 International Congress of Entomology. Zika experts from the U.S. and Brazil will discuss the history of the disease in the Americas, microcephaly, the potential for sexual transmission, mosquitoes that can potentially transmit the virus, and novel methods of controlling it, including genetic approaches and the release of mosquitoes that have been infected with Wolbachia bacteria.

The symposium will be held in the Chapin Theater at the Orange County Convention Center. A list of speakers, topics, and abstracts is available at: https://esa.confex.com/esa/ice2016/meetingapp.cgi/Session/27678

In addition, reporters are invited to attend the Entomology Leadership Summit Agenda, which will be held September 27-28, 2016 at the Rosen Centre Hotel, Ballrooms D&E (9840 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819). This high-level summit of global entomological leaders will address major global entomological issues, including Zika and other vector-borne diseases, invasive species, and sustainable agriculture. May Berenbaum, President of the Entomological Society of America (ESA), and ESA Past President Frank Zalom will deliver an overview of the problems, and Sonny Ramaswamy, Director of the USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture, will deliver a keynote address.

A full list of speakers and topics is available at https://entomologychallenges.org/entomology-leadership-summit-agenda.

Both events will be held during the 2016 International Congress of Entomology (http://ice2016orlando.org), the largest gathering of insect scientists in the history of entomology. Like the Olympics, the International Congresses are held every four years in different countries. ICE 2016 will be held on September 25-30, 2016 in Orlando, and will feature thousands of presentations. Topics will include Zika and other arboviruses, citrus greening disease, integrated pest management, science communication, insects as food and feed (entomophagy), arthropod genomics, and many more.

Members of the media who would like to attend these events should contact Richard Levine at [email protected] or 301-731-4535, ext 3009.

WHAT: Zika Virus Symposium
WHEN: Monday, September 26, 2016, 9:15 AM - 12:30 PM
WHERE: The Chapin Theater at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida
MORE INFO: https://esa.confex.com/esa/ice2016/meetingapp.cgi/Session/27678

WHAT: Entomology Leadership Summit Agenda
WHEN: September 27 (6:00-10:00 PM) and September 28 (10:00 AM to 6:00 PM)
WHERE: Rosen Centre Hotel, Ballrooms D&E, 9840 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819
MORE INFO: https://entomologychallenges.org/entomology-leadership-summit-agenda/

WHAT: The 2016 International Congress of Entomology
WHEN: September 25-30, 2016
WHERE: Orange County Convention Center, 9899 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819
MORE INFO: http://ice2016orlando.org

CONTACT: Richard Levine at [email protected] or 301-731-4535, ext 3009.

SOURCE Entomological Society of America