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Review
. 2018 Dec 7;15(12):2775.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph15122775.

Emerging Mosquito-Borne Threats and the Response from European and Eastern Mediterranean Countries

Nicholas Johnson  1   2 , Mar Fernández de Marco  3 , Armando Giovannini  4 , Carla Ippoliti  5 , Maria Luisa Danzetta  6 , Gili Svartz  7 , Oran Erster  8 , Martin H Groschup  9 , Ute Ziegler  10 , Ali Mirazimi  11 , Vanessa Monteil  12 , Cecile Beck  13 , Gaelle Gonzalez  14 , Sylvie Lecollinet  15 , Houssam Attoui  16 , Sara Moutailler  17
Affiliations
Review

Emerging Mosquito-Borne Threats and the Response from European and Eastern Mediterranean Countries

Nicholas Johnson et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Mosquito-borne viruses are the cause of some of the greatest burdens to human health worldwide, particularly in tropical regions where both human populations and mosquito numbers are abundant. Due to a combination of anthropogenic change, including the effects on global climate and wildlife migration there is strong evidence that temperate regions are undergoing repeated introduction of mosquito-borne viruses and the re-emergence of viruses that previously were not detected by surveillance. In Europe, the repeated introductions of West Nile and Usutu viruses have been associated with bird migration from Africa, whereas the autochthonous transmission of chikungunya and dengue viruses has been driven by a combination of invasive mosquitoes and rapid transcontinental travel by infected humans. In addition to an increasing number of humans at risk, livestock and wildlife, are also at risk of infection and disease. This in turn can affect international trade and species diversity, respectively. Addressing these challenges requires a range of responses both at national and international level. Increasing the understanding of mosquito-borne transmission of viruses and the development of rapid detection methods and appropriate therapeutics (vaccines / antivirals) all form part of this response. The aim of this review is to consider the range of mosquito-borne viruses that threaten public health in Europe and the eastern Mediterranean, and the national response of a number of countries facing different levels of threat.

Keywords: Aedes albopictus; Culex pipiens; Usutu virus; West Nile virus; mosquito.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Annual totals for human cases of WNF reported in the European Union. Note that total cases for 2018 are those recorded to 16 August 2018.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Map of southern France showing locations and years with West Nile virus outbreaks.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Reports of Usutu virus cases in wild birds in France.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Annual numbers of human cases of WNF in Italy. Note that total cases for 2018 are those recorded to 16 August 2018.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Surveillance effort for West Nile virus in Italy (2012 to July 2018). (A) Number of WNV positive mosquito pools reported. (B) Number of WNV positive target birds reported. (C) Total number of WNV positive wild birds collected during passive surveillance.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Human case of WNF and WNV positive mosquito pools in Israel during 2011 to 2018. (A) Number of human cases in each year. Suspected (pale bars), patients whose preliminary laboratory tests indicated possible WNV infection. Diagnosed (dark bars), patients whose WNV infection was unambiguously confirmed. (B) Number of locations from which mosquito pools identified as positive for WNV by PCR. * indicates that surveillance during 2016 was sporadic and underestimates the total number of infected locations.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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