Impact of climate change on the mosquito vector

Abstract

During the last few decades, average surface temperature of the Earth was increased by approximately 0.2°C/decades.  Higher concentration of the green house gases leads to increase in atmospheric and Earth surface temperatures and cause global warming. Global warming can impact the physical as well as biological systems. Therefore, climate change may play a key role in transmission of several vectors borne disease. In the last thirty years, several new infectious diseases have been emerged in the world. Development, survival of mosquitoes and the dissemination of pathogens, all are controlled by the climatic factors. Climate change and unstable climatic condition may affect vector borne diseases. At present, impacts of climate change on mosquito life cycle and transmission of mosquito borne diseases is a serious issue. Temperature change affect pathogen development within the mosquitoes, mosquito survival and therefore vectorial capacity. In addition, precipitation in an area control the number of breeding sites for mosquitoes that have aquatic immature stages. It has been estimated that these diseases represent 17% of the global disease burden. These diseases are the major cause of mortality in several tropical and subtropical countries. Migration of malaria vectors from their conventional locations to invade the new geographical region is a matter of great concern. To prevent the vector borne diseases, continuous monitoring of mosquito population and mosquito transmitted diseases in the context of climate change is required. Furthermore, it seems essential to improve our knowledge based on the availability of present information and problems regarding mosquito surveillance and mosquito-borne infectious diseases.

Keywords: Mosquito, Geographical region, Climate, Vector