Abstract
The management of vector-borne diseases can be challenging for public health agencies as vector-borne diseases often have complex ecologies, and can be subject to change with fluctuations in climate, host and vector population dynamics, and human behavior. As humans continue to expand their range into new and previously uninhabited territories, contact with new vectors and pathogens and vector-borne disease transmission may continue to increase. In Arizona, several vector-borne disease outbreaks have occured in recent decades. Human cases of tick-borne relapsing fever, plague, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever have been identified (the last two caused several deaths) in Arizona. Health systems in Arizona, including the Arizona Department of Health Services, the National Park System, and Indian Health Services, develop unique vector-borne disease management strategies and face unique challenges characteristic to their respective regions. This paper synthesizes research on the three most burdensome vector-borne diseases in Arizona, tick-borne relapsing fever, plague, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and suggests an integrated vector management strategy to improve surveillance and minimize transmission of these pathogens.