The Growing Threat of Mosquitoes
Manuel Lluberas
Senior Consultant specializing in mosquito population management program design, business architecture, and implementation, and emergency vector management.
Public health entomologists have issued a dire warning about the rise in mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya, West Nile virus, and other threats. The concern is directly linked to the global increase in mosquito populations generated by frequent intermittent rainfall due to climate change.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded an alarming increase in dengue cases in 2023 that exceeds the global combined figure of the last five years. At least 5,562 people have died from dengue, and 5,046,627 cases have been recorded. This reflects a 30% increase compared to 2022, and a 32% increase in the mortality rate.
This month, Argentina and Nigeria have declared states of emergency due to dengue. The Philippines has seen a 396% increase. Among the hundreds of cases recorded in Mali, at least fifteen have resulted in deaths. Viet Nam is facing thousands of cases. Costa Rica has seen a 233% increase, with all four serotypes of the virus circulating. In Spain, Portugal, France, Germany and Greece, dengue continues to expand its reach and affect thousands.
Puerto Rico has reported a total of 1,083 cases, with 447 hospitalizations, 48 classified as severe cases according to the WHO definition, and two deaths.
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Climate change is transforming the environment and increasing mosquito proliferation as a result of frequent intermittent rainfall and rising average temperatures have accelerated their development cycle. Meanwhile, excessive urbanization contributes to increased contact with humans, especially after severe weather events. This situation highlights the importance of implementing vector control programs and improving urban planning and public health strategies to protect communities.
Living with mosquitoes is not an inevitable part of living in the tropics. Controlling mosquitoes is crucial to preventing the spread of dengue and the other diseases they carry. Unfortunately, no country has sufficient technical or financial resources to effectively address this problem. The lack of public health personnel to inspect homes, educate residents eliminating sources, and develop efficient government programs increases our vulnerability.
Inspecting our surroundings to eliminate mosquito breeding sites can go a long way toward minimizing their impact on our families and communities. Although mosquito control is complicated, it doesn't necessarily require specialized scientific knowledge. While we wait for an effective preventative drug or vaccine, the ones that are in development, it is imperative that we actively engage in the identification and elimination of breeding sites. Taking a few minutes to eliminate breeding sites in the home and promoting community surveillance can reduce the incidence of mosquito-associated diseases.
Mosquito population management is a shared challenge that requires everyone’s active participation. Together, we can build a future in which the buzz of mosquitoes no longer heralds a threat, but becomes a distant echo of a conquered public health challenge.
Medical Entomologist, Freelance Consultant for Vector Control
1 年So we need develops our capacity to build more than control's technic but also create atmosphere around the issue , understand the quality of messages we launch and able to explain cost benefit and persuade whom the issues concerns able to to talk to politicians
Medical Entomologist, Freelance Consultant for Vector Control
1 年The risk is basically because the problem is not known. Until the person sees the problem right under their nose they don't move. Then we should also take on a bit of the role of the economist by trying to make people understand the concept and cost-benefit that can come from managing the mosquito problem. Then shoild said that we are the figures fighting the mosquitoes but have little knowledge of social approach so we must somehow also equip ourselves with other skills to involve other people more than ever, other figures who can support the control as we say and not leave everything in the hands of business of repellent products business and so on. We are supposed to be able to work where the mosquitoes come from. But unfortunately those who are making money from fighting mosquitoes where they go or repellents to adultsicides chemical products and so on .We ,medical entomologist need to be able to know a little about economics and involve and show the economic profile
Medical Entomologist, Freelance Consultant for Vector Control
1 年Dear Manuel, I wished to tell you something very important. Since I, as you, am a senior medical entomologist and I believe that I as lmany other colleagues here in Europe or even abroad, are too narrowly focused on the concept of medical entomology without being able to involve other figures, attracting attention towards the problem adequately because we do not know economy We need to know economy. We must say the cost and the benefits. It must be said the cost of managing the mosquito problem which is the vector of many of these diseases, if there is no rational approach to the problem it is due to the fact that we are not able we have not been able to involve other people to attract attention and give importance to this field and consequently these facts of Dengue chikungunya , wnv and others ..and are increasing and are increasing because we have not absolutely been able to lower the risk.
Business Head -Entomologist| Structural & Urban Pest Management Expert| M.Sc. Entomology | Ecology-based pest management| Assessment-based pest management| Pest Risk Management Analyst| Technical Head|
1 年Excellent thoughts and information.
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1 年It is more relevant data regarding public health importance vector elimination