A climate-dependent spatial epidemiological model for the transmission risk of West Nile virus at local scale

An epidemiological model for mosquito host selection and temperature-dependent transmission of West Nile virus

“…We investigated the ability of the MIMESIS-2 model to correctly identify the occurrence of WNV events, both in space and time, and its capacity to quantify the annual number of human WNV cases and the timing of the first WNV event in the year. The performance of many quantities of interest, such as the severity and timing of occurrence of human WNV cases, was also compared output from the original MIMESIS model 26 .…”

“…We extended a previous climate-dependent epidemiological model for WNV 26 by including vector-specific characteristics of WNV transmission, such as mosquito host selection and temperature-dependent virus transmission. The aim was to better quantify the emergence of WNV events and the week of the first occurrence of a human WNV case.…”

“…Epidemiological models have been used to estimate the best moment for intervention, to predict human WNV cases and to understand the minimum set of information needed to predict cases with accuracy. WNV models have become more complex to include the aforementioned effects of temperature and precipitation as well as landscape features available from satellite Earth observation data 19 , 24 on the population dynamics of mosquitoes and therefore on the amplification and transmission of the virus 25 , 26 . In this context, and following previous modelling work by Hartley et al 27 , epidemiological models can be used to gain further understanding of the complex cycle of transmission of WNV.…”

“…In this context, and following previous modelling work by Hartley et al 27 , epidemiological models can be used to gain further understanding of the complex cycle of transmission of WNV. For these reasons, we included host selection and temperature-dependent transmission in our previously developed weather-dependent spatial epideMIological ModEl for WNV tranSmISsion (MIMESIS) 26 .…”

Case Report: Neurologic Presentation of West Nile Virus: Difficult Diagnosis

“…Standing ground water is enriched with organic material during storms and is ideal for mosquito larvae growth. The transmission cycle includes passerine birds (reservoir) and Culex mosquitoes (vector) with transmission spilling over into horses and humans (dead-end hosts that do not build virus loads sufficient for transmissions) (6). The region is sub-tropical with warmer and wetter seasons that extends the mosquito season from March through October (5).…”