Climate Change, Vectors, and the Expanding Threat
The vector-borne diseases have always been present in our life, but nowadays, due to recent climate changes and human-induced factors, they are playing a more important and damaging role for human health. The conditions mentioned before have favoured the expansion of the radius of action of mosquitoes and sandflies into new territories that were inaccessible before. Among the diseases transmitted by these vectors is Leishmaniasis, a zoonotic disease transmitted by a sandfly which can cause visceral lesions, a severe and fatal manifestation if untreated, as well as cutaneous signs in humans. Leishmaniasis is an endemic ailment in the Mediterranean region, but more recently, positive cases have been identified in other countries.
The dogs are the main domestic hosts and reservoirs of this disease for human infection. Their Leishmaniasis manifestations can range from mild to severe, and there are even dogs that can carry the parasite, in most cases the Leishmania infantum, without showing any clinical signs, which poses a major problem for human health because they can spread the disease without the knowledge and warning of the official health authorities
A One Health Strategy to Predict and Prevent
Despite advances in topical repellents, insecticides, canine vaccines and treatments developed by pharmaceutical corporations, these resources have not mitigated the progression of Leishmaniasis.
This is one of the reasons why APMVEAC is taking a One Health approach in collaboration with Universidade Nova de Lisboa to face the canine Leishmaniasis. Several stakeholders were engaged and invited to participate in order to understand the current situation. Through their knowledge and database sharing, APMVEAC is gathering crucial epidemiological data to produce maps of environmental hotspots for canine Leishmaniasis, identifying high risk areas for disease transmission; forecast the spread of the disease under various scenarios, enhancing forecasting accuracy, and ultimately, create a predictive Early Warning System for Leishmaniasis.
Taking in account the growing challenges posed by climate change and globalization, this Early Warning System will be an essential digital tool to strengthening the monitoring of vector-borne diseases like Leishmaniasis and mitigating the effects of the same. By improving early detection and response, we can improve the transmission control, reduce the risks of outbreaks and consequently protect the health of humans and animals.
The dogs are the main domestic hosts and reservoirs of this disease for human infection. Their Leishmaniasis manifestations can range from mild to severe, and there are even dogs that can carry the parasite, in most cases the Leishmania infantum, without showing any clinical signs, which poses a major problem for human health because they can spread the disease without the knowledge and warning of the official health authorities
Early Isights and the Need for Awareness
Although we are still in the early stages of the case study, it has already become clear this is an urgent matter and it’s necessary to raise awareness between stakeholders in order to achieve an effective Early Warning System, an indispensable tool for environmental, animal and human health.
Authors: Filipe Gonçalves and APEMVEAC team