Editorial: Understanding Glocalisation in Vector-Borne Disease Dynamics and Ecology

Serhii Filatov^1*Ryan Oliver Marino Rego²

• ¹The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, United States
• ²Biologicke centrum Akademie ved Ceske republiky Parazitologicky ustav, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are influenced by complex interactions between global forces (e.g. climate change, trade, travel) and local ecological, socio-economic, and demographic conditions. The term glocalisation captures this interface, where global patterns of vector and pathogen distribution are filtered through local contexts. This Research Topic aimed to explore these dynamics across systems, vectors, and geographies, offering insights into how glocal processes shape VBD emergence, persistence, and spread.Mosquito-borne diseases exemplify the global reach that pathogens can achieve, with multiple historical and ongoing introductions around the world (1,2). Consequently, the presence of relevant vectors is a critical component of disease receptivity, or potential of an area to sustain pathogen transmission. Muchiri et al. used a maximum entropy approach to model the ecological niches of the major arbovirus vector, Aedes aegypti s.l., in Kenya. The study incorporated environmental and climatic predictors to generate high-resolution suitability maps, revealing heterogeneity in vector habitat potential across the country. Unlike previously published global-scale analyses that predicted almost universal high occurrence probability across Kenya, the current work indicated highly urbanized areas as potential hotspots for the presence of Ae. aegypti s.l. As noted by the authors, this tends to coincide with the areas where the increase in Dengue fever and Chikungunya activity has been documented in the past ten years. These results can help in targeting surveillance and risk mapping efforts, as well as guide public health responses. Interestingly, while the current study did not discriminate between the sylvatic (Ae. aegypti formosus) and the globally invasive (Ae. aegypti aegypti) forms, genomic data indicate that an admixture between the two, following their secondary contact, is likely occurring in the region (3). This warrants further investigation, involving both modeling and molecular approaches, to uncover the dynamics and potential consequences for arbovirus transmission in Sub-Saharan Africa.While the global success of invasive mosquitoes like Ae. aegypti and Aedes albopictus is often attributed to the increasing urbanization, individual species' responses to the land use gradient appear to be diverging (4,5). Stefopoulou et al. explored the spatial and temporal dynamics of Ae. albopictus in rural and agricultural landscapes of Chania, Greece, following its invasion. Using field surveillance across different habitats, they demonstrated that the species has successfully colonized a wide range of environments, negatively impacting populations of a local container-breeding mosquito, Aedes cretinus. This study underlines the adaptability of Ae. albopictus, and attests to its superior competitiveness, as previously suggested in comparison to Ae. aegypti (6). The significance of such ecological interactions is hard to overstate, as they could have direct (and yet to be fully explored) implications for local transmission of pathogens.Another important determinant of transmission success is the innate ability of local vector populations to transmit a pathogen, known as vector competence. Bohers et al. examined the vector competence of Ae. albopictus populations from Paris, France, for Dengue virus (DENV) serotypes. Their experiments revealed that these temperate-climate mosquitoes were capable of transmitting three of the four DENV serotypes. Notably, a resurgence in autochthonous Dengue cases has been documented in the Greater Paris area in 2023, prompting the study. These findings are consistent with the idea of redundancy in the vector niche for many VBD systems, meaning a new vector species can drive local transmission (7), sometimes despite its perceived inferior competence. Thus, the authors provide a timely warning about the risks for the emergence of DENV in other northern European countries with established populations of Ae. albopictus.On the other side of the equation are local adaptations of pathogens to different hosts and vectors. Molecular tracking of genetic diversity within pathogen populations can provide valuable insights into local transmission dynamics. Ruybal-Pesántez et al. investigated the transmission of Plasmodium falciparum in Ecuador following an outbreak. Using molecular genotyping that targets genes encoding major surface antigens, the study found evidence of continued low-level transmission of (nearly) clonal parasite isolates. These findings indicate that P. falciparum persisted despite apparent clinical control. As the country moves closer to malaria elimination, the cost-effective amplicon sequencing strategy proposed by the authors represents an important addition to the available tools for epidemiological tracking in lowtransmission settings. Tick-borne infections are truly diseases of place, whereby fine-scale abiotic conditions and host communities drive local transmission of pathogens (8). While the increasing overlap between human activities and tick ecology precipitated the emergence of numerous tick-borne pathogens in the Global North over the last 50 years, we are still lacking a solid understanding of the analogous processes in the tropics. Onyiche et al. contributed a comprehensive review of the epidemiology of tick-borne rickettsial infections across Africa. Their synthesis covers vector-host relationships, disease distribution, and diagnostic gaps. The review highlights underexplored ecological and epidemiological complexities that vary across regions and tick species. Compared to the end of the last century, when only two tick-borne Rickettsia species had been officially recognized in Africa (9), their work uncovers an expanding spectrum of species, some of which might represent pathogenic rickettsiae previously reported only outside the continent. The authors also point to the limited research and diagnostic infrastructure that hampers detection and reporting, highlighting how systemic disparities contribute to the silent spread of VBDs in the region.Taken together, the articles in this collection illustrate the multifaceted interplay of ecological context, human activity, and biological complexity driving VBD ecology across space and time. They demonstrate that both global change and local dynamics determine where vectorborne diseases spread and how they persist. At the same time, the work highlights clear gaps in surveillance, diagnostics, and ecological data, especially in tropical and underserved regions. Strengthening these areas will be essential for anticipating the next shifts in pathogen distribution. We hope this collection will promote deeper integration of multiple fields and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration in the study of vector-borne infections.