If you find yourself adding an extra layer of bug spray before your evening walks or instinctively swatting at every passing mosquito, your heightened vigilance is justified. Cases of vector-borne diseases have surged in recent years. There were over one million cases between 2001 and 2023 in the United States alone—and that number only includes reported cases.
The CDC estimates that only one in ten West Nile virus cases is reported, and the true number of Lyme disease cases could be ten times higher than those officially documented. This potential underreporting suggests an even larger and more concerning spread of vector-borne diseases within the United States, not to mention other countries around the world.
What Are Vector-Borne Diseases — and Why Are They Increasing?
Vector-borne diseases are infections transmitted to humans and other animals through insects, known as vectors, that carry pathogens. Vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks and fleas become infected when they feed on a host carrying a virus, bacteria or parasite. As they continue feeding on other animals or humans, they can transfer the pathogen, potentially causing illness in the newly infected host.
The question remains: Why are vector-borne disease rates increasing?
Several factors affect the number of recent cases.
Climate Change
When it comes to climate change and vector-borne diseases, rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are reshaping ecosystems to favor disease-carrying insect populations. For instance, the record-breaking heat of 2023, which was 2.12°F above the 20th-century average, is a perfect example of how rising global temperatures can boost the populations of disease-carrying insects. Insects like mosquitoes thrive in warm environments, and climate change is enabling them to expand their habitats, possibly even into regions that were once too cold for them to survive.
In addition to temperature shifts, climate change intensifies the total rainfall in certain areas. Frequent rain creates more standing water, an essential component for mosquito breeding. With more precipitation, mosquitoes are given the ideal conditions for increasing their numbers, therefore boosting the likelihood of outbreaks in these regions.
Globalization
The affordability and accessibility of modern transportation have transformed global travel. Planes, trains and automobiles have made it increasingly easy for people to explore new destinations and reconnect with distant family members. However, this ease of travel also inadvertently helps pathogens reach new regions.
Unknowing travelers can carry vector-borne diseases to places that may lack the public health infrastructure or immunity levels to effectively manage and contain outbreaks. When they arrive at their destination, a mosquito or other vector might bite them and transmit the pathogen to other humans, possibly triggering an unwanted outbreak in that region.
Air travel, specifically, offers a quick means for vectors hitchhiking in cargo and infected individuals to reach new areas. This ease of global movement makes it much easier to rapidly spread diseases like malaria and dengue.
Potential Solutions to Reduce Infection Rates
As awareness of increasing infection rates grows, developing effective solutions to this problem becomes increasingly crucial. Below, we explore some potential strategies.
Creating climate change improvement efforts
To lower temperatures and mitigate the effects of climate change, it’s essential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Although this is a significant undertaking, transitioning to renewable energy sources and enforcing regulations like carbon pricing could help slow climate change. On a smaller scale, communities affected by increased precipitation could lead initiatives focused on neighborhood cleanups to reduce standing water and promote the use of insect repellent.
Enhanced public health strategies
While some vector-borne diseases are resistant to drugs and lack vaccines, others do have available vaccines, such as the one for malaria. Providing at-risk communities with these vaccines and other resources, like insect repellents and mosquito nets, can help limit exposure and decrease infection rates.
Other public health initiatives to consider include:
- Providing community education
Many communities lack an understanding of the basics regarding vector-borne illnesses. Awareness campaigns via social media and local workshops could teach individuals about how these diseases are transmitted, preventative strategies and symptoms to watch for. - Surveilling vectors
Professionals, such as entomologists or public health officials, can monitor vector species and track the presence of pathogens to help predict and respond to outbreaks more quickly. Surveillance data also helps communities prepare for high-risk seasons.
Be Part of the Solution: Become a Medical Entomology Professional
As the need for effective control of vector-borne diseases grows, so does the demand for medical entomologists to study vector behavior, disease transmission and control methods. With the right training, you can transform your passion into a rewarding, life-saving career. The University of Florida’s specialization in medical entomology emphasizes vector ecology and disease dynamics, featuring courses like Advanced Mosquito Biology and Arthropod Vector Identification.
If you’re interested in managing disease-spreading vectors, we also offer specializations in Landscape Pest Management and Urban Pest Management. You can choose to earn a 15-credit graduate certificate or a 30-credit master’s degree with any of our specializations. Our master’s program combines the coursework from the graduate certificate with additional general entomology courses, giving you a well-rounded education while allowing you to focus on your chosen area of expertise.
Explore all of our program options, and reach out if you have any questions!
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/vector-borne-diseases/about/index.html
https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-temperature
