Contribution to the Cross-Border Public Health of Mosquito Control Programs Applied in Evros Prefecture, Greece (2015–2018)

TL;DR

This paper examines how mosquito control efforts in Evros, Greece (2015–2018) impacted public health, highlighting challenges due to climate, invasive species, and migration.

Contribution

The study emphasizes the need for systematic surveillance and a unified data platform to improve mosquito control in cross-border public health.

Findings

High mosquito populations in Evros were linked to extreme climatic conditions between 2015 and 2018.

Larviciding efforts were insufficient to reduce mosquito nuisance in several areas.

The emergence of Aedes albopictus in Evros raises concerns due to its potential to transmit severe diseases.

Abstract

Vector-borne diseases are among the leading causes of death globally. Mosquitoes breeding in open water sources are associated with the transmission of sporadic diseases, and their management differs from species reproducing in urban and peri-urban areas. Invasive species such as Aedes and Culex mosquitoes pose significant public health challenges. The climatic conditions in the examined area (Evros, North Eastern Greece) in the period between 2015 and 2018 had been challenging, with high temperatures and heavy rainfall having led to significant increases in mosquito populations. The combination of the abovementioned climatic conditions, along with regional topography and migration flows at the borders, can contribute to the resurgence of West Nile virus and malaria cases, which have been sporadically reported. Despite the widespread implementation of larviciding (i.e., the process of controlling insect larvae, primarily mosquitoes, using chemical or biological substances aimed at killing the larvae before they reach their adult form), mosquito nuisance levels remained very high in several areas, causing significant problems to the residents. The recent emergence of the Asian Aedes albopictus (known as the “tiger mosquito”) in the Evros Regional Unit is particularly concerning as it can transmit severe and possibly fatal diseases. A cornerstone of future integrated control programs will be systematic entomological surveillance and epidemiological research. In addition, creating an information platform for the entire Greek territory that is continuously updated with relevant data is imperative.

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