A critical assessment of mosquito control and the influence of climate change on mosquito-borne disease epidemics

• Published in: Environment, development and sustainability Vol. 24; no. 6; pp. 8900 - 8929
• Main Authors: Anoopkumar, A. N., Aneesh, Embalil Mathachan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.06.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic insects; Case Study; Chemical pest control; Climate change; Dengue fever; Disease control; Disease transmission; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Economic development; Economic Geology; Economic Growth; Ecosystems; Environment; Environmental Economics; Environmental impact; Environmental Management; Epidemics; Filariasis; Global economy; Global warming; Human populations; Infections; Insect control; Insecticide resistance; Insecticides; Malaria; Mosquitoes; Pesticide resistance; Pesticides; Sustainable Development; Tropical diseases; Urbanization; Vector-borne diseases; Viral diseases; Viruses; West Nile virus; Yellow fever; Zika virus; Vector control strategies; Mosquito-borne diseases; Climate change; Mosquito control; Synthetic insecticides; Biological control
• ISSN: 1387-585X; 1573-2975
• DOI: 10.1007/s10668-021-01792-4

The world has experienced perceptible climate change for the past 100 years. Global warming enhances the rapid spread of mosquito-borne diseases resulting in unknown consequences in the future. The global economic development, increased urbanization, and climate change have significantly increased the mosquito-borne disease transmission pattern and dynamics. In India, mosquito-borne diseases have been a core public issue for decades. Hence, mosquito control is primordial for preventing the transmission of malaria, lymphatic filariasis, dengue fever, Yellow fever, Zika virus infection, West Nile fever, and chikungunya virus infection in the human population. The mosquito control strategies based on ecology have received much more attention during the 1960s, as chemical pesticides induce negative impacts on human health and the ecosystem. Most of the current approaches in mosquito control have several limitations related to the development of insecticide resistance, lack of long-term sustainability, and negative impacts on the ecosystem and the environment. This review offers invaluable insights into severe mosquito-borne diseases, various vector control strategies, and the influence of climate change in mosquito-borne disease transmission.