Abstract
Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are illnesses caused by parasites, viruses or bacteria that are transmitted by a vector such as mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, triatomine bugs, tsetse flies, fleas, black flies, aquatic snails and lice. In this chapter, we aim to show how climate change impacts VBDs and what role biodiversity (and its loss) plays for VBDs. (1) We show how climatic changes shape the distribution and abundance of disease vectors. To point out current triple vulnerabilities regarding climate change, biodiversity and VBDs, we selected ticks and mosquitoes as examples. (2) We point out important knowledge gaps on VBDs and biodiversity, which make prognoses for VBDs under climate change challenging. (3) We review vector control tools as well as policy options and related infrastructural responses to manage VBDs under climate and biodiversity changes.
Highlights
Highlights Climatic change shapes the regional distribution and abundance of disease vectors. There are important knowledge gaps with relation to vector-borne diseases (VBDs) and biodiversity. A variety of new biological and genetic vector control tools are under development. VBD control needs a trans-sectoral One Health approach, not just the health sector. VBD control and elimination should be based on a wider understanding of planetary health
VBDs are illnesses caused by parasites, viruses or bacteria that are transmitted by a vector, such as mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, triatomine bugs, tsetse flies, fleas, black flies, aquatic snails and lice (Table 4.1, WHO 2017a)
Adult females of Ae. albopictus produced from larvae reared at 18 °C were more likely infected and disseminated with chikungunya virus than females from larvae reared at 32 °C (Westbrook et al 2010) and Ae. taeniorhynchus females reared at 19 °C as larvae had a higher susceptibility and dissemination-prevalence for Rift Valley fever virus and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus than larval cohorts reared at 26 °C (Turell 1993)
Summary
Both climate change and biodiversity loss are current challenges to humankind. Climate and biodiversity change have health impacts that range widely from direct effects such as progressive temperature increases from global warming, flooding or heat waves due to increased climate variability and extreme weather events, to indirect effects such as changes in ecosystem services, food productivity or species distributions (Montag et al 2017). Every year there are more than 700,000 deaths from zoonotic vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, schistosomiasis, human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and onchocerciasis (WHO 2017a). These zoonotic diseases account for around 17% of the estimated global burden of communicable diseases and disproportionately affect poorer populations that live in environmentally degraded environments and housing conditions that are favourable to VBDs (WHO 2017a). To point out current triple vulnerabilities regarding climate change, biodiversity and VBDs, we selected ticks and mosquitoes as examples. (2) We point out important knowledge gaps on VBDs and biodiversity, which make prognoses for climate change challenging. (3) We review policy options to manage VBDs under climate and biodiversity changes and related infrastructural responses
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