How does the human footprint under climate change drive mosquito evolution and impact the spread of mosquito-borne diseases?

Science / Life Sciences

Human populations are under growing risks of mosquito-borne diseases despite various control programs. The mosquito’s vectorial capacity, influenced by anthropogenic factors and intertwined ecological and evolutionary processes, must be assessed in multiple socioeconomic environments. Considering the pivotal role of human footprint under climate change in mosquito evolution and the corresponding impacts on the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, this research aims to set up the model of mosquito-borne disease burden based on ecological and evolutionary processes, combined with human footprint and vulnerability, and mosquito’s ethology and biology. For that, it will apply ecological modelling and vector biology and ethology studies with a Radial Basis Function kernel-based Support Vector Regression model to test if the interplay between anthropogenic and ecological factors can drive mosquito evolution and explain the ongoing dynamics in mosquito-borne disease transmission in Brazil.

Amount invested

Grant Serrapilheira: R$ 105.000,00
  • Topics
  • Mosquito
  • Vector