ARBOPREVENT: preventing outbreaks of the West Nile virus

Jordi Figuerola

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain

Mosquito-borne infectious diseases, such as malaria, dengue fever and Zika, are a major threat to human health and the development of society. They are estimated to cause more than 700,000 deaths per year. Although for Europe has been practically free of pathologies of this type the last half century, West Nile virus (WNV) has re-emerged in the last decade and has increased its incidence and geographical distribution. In fact, the virus is endemic to Spain and caused 77 severe cases and 8 deaths, mostly in Andalusia, in 2020.

Until now, strategies aimed at managing these diseases have been based on trying to control the spread of the virus using biocides against mosquitoes when and where human cases of infection are detected.

However, rather than reacting to the appearance of cases of infection, the ARBOPREVENT project is aimed at preventing them in order to reduce the risk of transmission of WNV and other arboviruses among the human population. To this end, the researchers will generate early warning mechanisms to detect outbreaks several weeks before they occur so as to reinforce mosquito control, reduce the possible circulation of the virus and prevent it from spreading to humans.

The researchers will also map the distribution of the different mosquito species, identifying breeding areas and proposing strategies for controlling the mosquito population using methods compatible with environmental conservation.

Moving from reactive to proactive strategies for the prevention of the next West Nile virus outbreak in Andalucía

€499,909.28