Loading
During the past 50 years, arboviral (arthropode-borne viral) diseases, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever, have (re-)emerged. The arboviruses are transmitted primarily by the tropical yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, and to a lesser extent by Ae. albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, capable of colonizing both tropical and temperate regions. Dengue virus is on the rise, causing about 390 million human infections per year, chikungunya virus spread worldwide in the early 2000s, Zika virus spread worldwide in the past 3 years, and yellow fever has resurged in Africa and the Americas. The expansion of these diseases can be explained in part by an intensification of the conditions favoring the dispersal and proliferation of Aedes as a result of global trade and unplanned urbanization, a lack of community engagement and political will, and inefficient implementation of vector control programs. Although a vaccine is available for yellow fever, it is not accessible to many living in disease-endemic areas and the recenty developed dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia® shows limited efficacy and safety concerns. In this context, preventing Aedes-Borne Diseases (ABDs) at a global scale continues to depend largely on controlling mosquito vector populations or interrupting human–vector contact. Unfortunately, control of mosquitoes using larval source management and public health insecticides is fraught with complications, including slow operational response, low community buy-in, ineffective timing of application and occurrence of insecticide resistance. A recent systematic review highlights that 57 countries (including Italy, Greece and Spain) reported resistance (or suspected resistance) to at least one chemical class of insecticides in Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus. Insecticide resistance is recognized as a major threat for the control of ABDs and has likely contributed to their re-emergence and spread worldwide. Unlike malaria vectors, the evidence-base to support Insecticide Resistance Management (IRM) in arbovirus vectors is weak which make prioritization for vector control difficult. In addition, important knowledge gaps remain for Aedes resistance including its distribution, evolution, mechanisms, fitness costs and its impact on vector control efficacy. Finally, most countries lack of capacity in monitoring insecticides resistance that is essential for guiding pesticide management systems on appropriate use and reduction of risks to human health and environment. A global, coordinated, multi-disciplinary and cross-sectoral approach is needed to track insecticide resistance in vectors of emerging arboviruses and to guide the deployment of resistance breaking strategies. Such coordinated effort fits well with the MSCA-RISE-2020 call that promotes collaborative research and innovation activities between public and private organizations throughout the world. The WIN-RISE will improve the surveillance of insecticide resistance worldwide, fill knowledge gaps and guide decision making for improved IRM strategies and vector control in countries at risk of arbovirus transmission. It will develop comprehensive guidance on how and when to implement IRM to preserve the “susceptibility” of new/existing insecticides. The inclusion of all actors involved in vector control, pesticide development and regulation is key for success. The consortium will offer an attractive platform for stimulating the development of innovative vector control tools by fostering public-private partnerships. These actions will contribute to strengthen the vector research and training capacities of institutions located in low and middle-income countries, and to raise public awareness on vector resistance and control. The ultimate goal of the WIN-RISE is to sustain global efforts to reduce the burden of Neglected Tropical Diseases by 2030 (SDG3.3).
<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
document.write('<div id="oa_widget"></div>');
document.write('<script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.openaire.eu/index.php?option=com_openaire&view=widget&format=raw&projectId=anr_________::63aa669679ca8be8cd2e2241fac1c73a&type=result"></script>');
-->
</script>