Mosquito (vector)-borne infectious diseases (MBDs) are of the most important causes of morbidity, and mortality of humans and animals worldwide. These MBDs (e.g., malaria, dengue, Zika, encephalitis, and West Nile fevers), represent serious obstacles against affected countries’ economic and social development due to millions of lost disability-adjusted life years. Many MBDs are rapidly emerging/re-emerging due to global climate change, increased human movements, live animal trade, range expansion and invasion of mosquito vector species into new geographic regions. In addition, the rapid development of mosquito vector resistance to almost all conventional insecticides, led to the failure or cessation of mosquito control programs, especially in low-income countries, the most affected by MBDs burden.
For the containment and control of MBDs, scientists are in fierce struggle to discover and develop new intervention strategies that mostly rely on biological and genetic tools for control of many mosquito vector species. These bio-control strategies include mosquito-associated surface/gut microbiota (endosymbionts: Wolbachia and Microsporidium)/microbiome, insect-specific flaviviruses/core-virome, entomopathogenic bacteria and fungi, sterile insect technique, and genetic modification. These novel/potential tools are harnessing the wealth of genomic data and genomic editing technologies available to scientists to provide sustainable and cost-effective disease control plans. These tools aim at manipulation of mosquito behavior and physiology to manage the problem of insecticide resistance and interfere with their vectorial competence and capacity for the transmission of MBDs. These bio-control tools must be conducted under strict ethical, bio-safety guidelines thus preserving the wellbeing and societal coherence of the MBDs-prone populations and regions.
The proposed Research Topic will focus on current and sound research addressing one or more of the above-mentioned bio-control strategies, related genomic surveillance, evolutionary genomics of mosquito species, and insecticide resistance. This includes lab, semi-field, and field research. Research relevant to bio-control of other arthropod vectors or insect model organisms can be considered if it provides new insights to mosquito biocontrol.
Manuscript submission can be in one of the following forms:
- Original Research Articles
- Brief Research Reports
- Methods
- Reviews and Mini Reviews
- Perspectives and Opinions
Mosquito (vector)-borne infectious diseases (MBDs) are of the most important causes of morbidity, and mortality of humans and animals worldwide. These MBDs (e.g., malaria, dengue, Zika, encephalitis, and West Nile fevers), represent serious obstacles against affected countries’ economic and social development due to millions of lost disability-adjusted life years. Many MBDs are rapidly emerging/re-emerging due to global climate change, increased human movements, live animal trade, range expansion and invasion of mosquito vector species into new geographic regions. In addition, the rapid development of mosquito vector resistance to almost all conventional insecticides, led to the failure or cessation of mosquito control programs, especially in low-income countries, the most affected by MBDs burden.
For the containment and control of MBDs, scientists are in fierce struggle to discover and develop new intervention strategies that mostly rely on biological and genetic tools for control of many mosquito vector species. These bio-control strategies include mosquito-associated surface/gut microbiota (endosymbionts: Wolbachia and Microsporidium)/microbiome, insect-specific flaviviruses/core-virome, entomopathogenic bacteria and fungi, sterile insect technique, and genetic modification. These novel/potential tools are harnessing the wealth of genomic data and genomic editing technologies available to scientists to provide sustainable and cost-effective disease control plans. These tools aim at manipulation of mosquito behavior and physiology to manage the problem of insecticide resistance and interfere with their vectorial competence and capacity for the transmission of MBDs. These bio-control tools must be conducted under strict ethical, bio-safety guidelines thus preserving the wellbeing and societal coherence of the MBDs-prone populations and regions.
The proposed Research Topic will focus on current and sound research addressing one or more of the above-mentioned bio-control strategies, related genomic surveillance, evolutionary genomics of mosquito species, and insecticide resistance. This includes lab, semi-field, and field research. Research relevant to bio-control of other arthropod vectors or insect model organisms can be considered if it provides new insights to mosquito biocontrol.
Manuscript submission can be in one of the following forms:
- Original Research Articles
- Brief Research Reports
- Methods
- Reviews and Mini Reviews
- Perspectives and Opinions
