Surveillance of mosquito populations: A key element to understanding the spread of invasive vector species and vector-borne diseases in Europe

Abstract

People's increased mobility and international trade play important roles in the dissemination of vectors and the pathogens/parasites that they could transmit. Climate change is likely to become another important consideration in the near future. Since the beginning of the millennium, a number of pathogen introductions into Europe have been recorded. The latest (Ravenna, Italy, 2007) was caused by the tropical Chikungunya virus, which is transmitted by the "Asian tiger mosquito", a species introduced into Italy in 1990. Previously identified phenomenona exhibit complex relationships with climate change, which does not simply comprise global warming but also includes severe weather changes. With regards to the animal kingdom, projected increases in air temperature will have an elevated impact on poikilotherm species, including insects that pose a threat to human health. The responses of insects to these changes (in addition to physiological changes such as the potential for increased vector capacity) could allow for a broadening of their colonized areas and the invasion of new sites. The spread of the sheep disease "blue tongue" and the insects that transmit it from Africa to Europe are widely accepted as consequences of climate change ; however, the influence of the high mobility of people and goods as a consequence of globalization should not be underestimated. It is likely that similar scenarios could result in new geographic redistributions of other transmissible diseases and their insect vectors, which will be shaped by the ability of the insects to adapt to environmental changes caused by various factors. Deciphering the true cause of changes in the distribution and behavior of mosquitoes is difficult and complex and depends, to a great extent, on the availability of data obtained by monitoring. In order to assist in vector-borne disease preparedness, the most important invasive vector species, and the reliability and sustainability of different monitoring techniques and surveillance programs will be discussed. © 2012 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.