Invasive hematophagous arthropods and associated diseases in a changing world

Abstract

Biological invasions have increased significantly with the tremendous growth of international trade and transport. Hematophagous arthropods can be vectors of infectious and potentially lethal pathogens and parasites, thus constituting a growing threat to humans—especially when associated with biological invasions. Today, several major vector-borne diseases, currently described as emerging or re-emerging, are expanding in a world dominated by climate change, land-use change and intensive transportation of humans and goods. In this review, we retrace the historical trajectory of these invasions to better understand their ecological, physiological and genetic drivers and their impacts on ecosystems and human health. We also discuss arthropod management strategies to mitigate future risks by harnessing ecology, public health, economics and social-ethnological considerations. Trade and transport of goods and materials, including vertebrate introductions and worn tires, have historically been important introduction pathways for the most prominent invasive hematophagous arthropods, but sources and pathways are likely to diversify with future globalization. Burgeoning urbanization, climate change and the urban heat island effect are likely to interact to favor invasive hematophagous arthropods and the diseases they can vector. To mitigate future invasions of hematophagous arthropods and novel disease outbreaks, stronger preventative monitoring and transboundary surveillance measures are urgently required. Proactive approaches, such as the use of monitoring and increased engagement in citizen science, would reduce epidemiological and ecological risks and could save millions of lives and billions of dollars spent on arthropod control and disease management. Last, our capacities to manage invasive hematophagous arthropods in a sustainable way for worldwide ecosystems can be improved by promoting interactions among experts of the health sector, stakeholders in environmental issues and policymakers (e.g. the One Health approach) while considering wider social perceptions. Graphical abstract

Climate-influenced vector-borne diseases in Africa: a call to empower the next generation of African researchers for sustainable solutions

“…Global warming, combined with globalization and the movement of goods and vectors worldwide [ 21 ], is redrawing a map of vector-borne diseases. Indeed, as temperatures rise and precipitation patterns shift, the geographic ranges of vectors expand in latitude and altitude, allowing these disease carriers to infiltrate previously unaffected regions [ 8 ].…”

“…For instance, vectors have been introduced in Europe and in the United States of America (USA) and sometimes from India to Africa (e.g., An. stephensi ) via the shipment of goods, mostly in containers [ 21 ]. Altered climatic conditions modify the temporal and spatial distribution of pathogens [ 22 ].…”

Population genetics for insect conservation and control

“…Although we currently ignore the conservation statuses of most insects, alarming reports suggest an ongoing global mass extinction (Hallmann et al, 2017;S anchez-Bayo & Wyckhuys, 2019). In sharp contrast, some insects constitute the worst invasive species, causing massive ecological and economic damages globally (Bradshaw et al, 2016;Vaes-Petignat & Nentwig, 2014), as well as increasing public health hazards (Cuthbert et al, 2023).…”

Biological invasions are a population‐level rather than a species‐level phenomenon

“…A more comprehensive exploration of population‐specific invasion dynamics is essential for enhancing predictive modelling, refining RAs and developing effective conservation and mitigation measures tailored to the unique characteristics of each population of the invasive non‐native species (Cuthbert et al., 2023; Hui & Richardson, 2017). It is, therefore, crucial to emphasise the importance of ‘spread’, rather than an observed ‘impact’, when defining a non‐native population's invasiveness, because a spreading non‐native species may cause impacts elsewhere, which are more difficult and costly to demonstrate (Milardi et al., 2022; Soto et al., 2024).…”