Epidemiology of Mosquito-Borne Viral Infections

The epidemiology of mosquito-borne viral infections encompasses viruses transmitted by mosquito vectors, chiefly flaviviruses such as West Nile virus (WNV), Usutu virus (USUV), dengue, chikungunya and Zika. These pathogens persist in enzootic cycles between mosquito vectors—primarily species of Culex, Aedes and Anopheles—and vertebrate reservoir hosts, notably birds and primates, with incidental spillover leading to human disease. Recent decades have witnessed geographic expansion of these viruses, driven by climatic shifts, urbanisation, global travel and land-use change. As temperature and precipitation patterns alter vector distribution and abundance, regions previously unaffected become conducive to transmission. Surveillance systems integrate entomological data, sentinel animal monitoring and human case reporting to identify emerging hot spots and inform control strategies, including vector management, vaccination campaigns and public education. Understanding vector ecology, viral evolution and host immune responses underpins predictive modelling and outbreak preparedness, with One Health approaches emphasising the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health. Challenges persist in resource-limited settings, where under-reporting and weak infrastructure hinder timely detection. Addressing these challenges requires interdisciplinary collaboration and investment in novel diagnostics, vaccines and sustainable vector control measures to mitigate the global burden of mosquito-borne diseases.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A recent modelling study has quantified the contribution of climate change to the spatial expansion of West Nile virus across Europe. By comparing ecological niche models under observed climatic trends with counterfactual scenarios excluding long-term warming, researchers demonstrated that increased temperatures have substantially enlarged the area suitable for viral circulation since the early 20th century. The work also disentangled the effects of land-use and demographic shifts, revealing that climate warming remains a critical driver of elevated human exposure risk. This evidence highlights the imperative of integrating climate projections into public health planning and reinforces the need for adaptive surveillance in frontline regions.

Epidemiology of Mosquito-Borne Viral Infections publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in epidemiology of mosquito-borne viral infections across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Enzootic cycle: The natural transmission cycle of a pathogen between arthropod vectors and vertebrate hosts, in which the virus is maintained in animal populations without causing large outbreaks in humans.

Vector competence: The ability of a mosquito species to acquire, support replication of, and transmit a pathogen to a new host.

Ecological niche model: A computational approach that predicts the suitable environmental conditions for species distribution or disease transmission based on climatic and ecological variables.

Basic reproduction number (R0): An epidemiological metric indicating the average number of secondary infections produced by one infected individual in a fully susceptible population.

References

1. Contribution of climate change to the spatial expansion of West Nile virus in Europe. Nature Communications (2024).
2. Epidemiology, surveillance and diagnosis of Usutu virus infection in the EU/EEA, 2012 to 2021.. Eurosurveillance (2023).
3. The Role of Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae) in Virus Transmission in Europe. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2018).