Emerging and Re-emerging Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases and the Challenges for Control: A Review

Abstract

Vector-borne emerging and re-emerging diseases pose considerable public health problem worldwide. Some of these diseases are emerging and/or re-emerging at increasing rates and appeared in new regions in the past two decades. Studies emphasized that the interactions among pathogens, hosts, and the environment play a key role for the emergence or re-emergence of these diseases. Furthermore, social and demographic factors such as human population growth, urbanization, globalization, trade exchange and travel and close interactions with livestock have significantly been linked with the emergence and/or re-emergence of vector-borne diseases. Other studies emphasize the ongoing evolution of pathogens, proliferation of reservoir populations, and antimicrobial drug use to be the principal exacerbating forces for emergence and re-emergence of vector-borne infectious diseases. Still other studies equivocally claim that climate change has been associated with appearance and resurgence of vector-borne infectious diseases. Despite the fact that many important emerging and re-emerging vector-borne infectious diseases are becoming better controlled, our success in stopping the many new appearing and resurging vector-borne infectious diseases that may happen in the future seems to be uncertain. Hence, this paper reviews and synthesizes the existing literature to explore global patterns of emerging and re-emerging vector-borne infections and the challenges for their control. It also attempts to give insights to the epidemiological profile of major vector-borne diseases including Zika fever, dengue, West Nile fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Chikungunya, Yellow fever, and Rift Valley fever.

Current Status of Mosquito Handling, Transporting and Releasing in Frame of the Sterile Insect Technique

“…It is estimated that over half of the world’s population is at risk of dengue [ 2 ]. In addition, yellow fever and malaria are re-emerging at the same time [ 3 ]. The general strategy of protecting humans and livestock from these pathogens is to find effective medicine or to develop a vaccine; however, the progress in these two strategies is limited.…”

A barcoding pipeline for mosquito surveillance in Nepal, a biodiverse dengue-endemic country

“…United global efforts are being undertaken to reduce the burden of VBDs. Despite scientific advances in the control of vector populations and ameliorating the consequences of infections, several VBDs, such as dengue fever, schistosomiasis and Lyme borreliosis, are still on the rise worldwide [ 2 ]. This concerns not only the tropical regions, classically associated with such diseases, but increasingly also temperate regions.…”

Human infections with neglected vector-borne pathogens in China: A systematic review

“… 16 , 17 , 18 The spread of Lyme and emergence of other tick-borne diseases (TBD), 19 the reemergence of many mosquito-borne illnesses including malaria and dengue fever that had been controlled in many areas in Asia and the Americas, 20 , 21 the resurge of chikungunya virus disease in Asia and Africa, 22 , 23 the discovery of novel TBDs, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, all have caused considerable economic, ecological, and public health impacts. 24 , 25 Particularly in countries where VBDs are most prevalent yet neglected, limited knowledge on these diseases had hindered the diagnosis and control efforts to be taken. 16 …”