Vector Borne Diseases- Their cause and preventions

"Eradicating mosquitoes is a means to an end. An uninfected mosquito is harmless to humans - just a nuisance"

What are Vector Borne diseases?

Vector-borne diseases are human illnesses caused by parasites, viruses and bacteria that are transmitted by vectors. 

Some Vector Borne diseases are -

  • Chickungunya
  • Dengue
  • Lymphatic filariasis
  • Rift Valley fever
  • Zika
  • Plague
  • Typhus
  • Louse-borne

What are Vectors?

 Vector is any living agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen(germs) to another living organism
Some Vectors are-
  • Tsetse flies
  • Mosquito
  • Aquatic Snails
  • Blackflies
  • Fleas
  • Lice
  • Sandflies
  • Ticks




It's Impact 

Every year there are more than 700,000 deaths from diseases such as malaria, dengue, schistosomiasis, human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and onchocerciasis.

The burden of these diseases is highest in tropical and subtropical areas, and they disproportionately affect the poorest populations. Since 2014, major outbreaks of dengue, malaria, chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika have afflicted populations, claimed lives, and overwhelmed health systems in many countries. Other diseases such as Chikungunya, leishmaniasis and lymphatic filariasis cause chronic suffering, life-long morbidity, disability and occasional stigmatisation.

Distribution of vector-borne diseases is determined by a complex set of demographic, environmental and social factors. Global travel and trade, unplanned urbanization, and en

What we have done?

The "Global Vector Control Response (GVCR) 2017–2030" was approved by the World Health Assembly in 2017. It provides strategic guidance to countries and development partners for urgent strengthening of vector control as a fundamental approach to preventing disease and responding to outbreaks. To achieve this a re-alignment of vector control programmes is required, supported by increased technical capacity, improved infrastructure, strengthened monitoring and surveillance systems, and greater community mobilization. Ultimately, this will support implementation of a comprehensive approach to vector control that will enable the achievement of disease-specific national and global goals and contribute to achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Health Coverage.

WHO Secretariat provides strategic, normative and technical guidance to countries and development partners for strengthening vector control as a fundamental approach based on GVCR to preventing disease and responding to outbreaks. Specifically WHO responds to vector-borne diseases by:

  • providing evidence-based guidance for controlling vectors and protecting people against infection;
  • providing technical support to countries so that they can effectively manage cases and outbreaks;
  • supporting countries to improve their reporting systems and capture the true burden of the disease;
  • providing training (capacity building) on clinical management, diagnosis and vector control with support from some of its collaborating centres; and
  • supporting the development and evaluation of new tools, technologies and approaches for vector-borne diseases, including vector control and disease management technologies.

A crucial element in reducing the burden of vector-borne diseases is behavioural change. WHO works with partners to provide education and improve public awareness, so that people know how to protect themselves and their communities from mosquitoes, ticks, bugs, flies and other vectors.

Access to water and sanitation is a very important factor in disease control and elimination. WHO works together with many different government sectors to improve water storage, sanitation, thereby helping to control these diseases at the community level.

Preventions for Vector- Borne diseases

Take simple measures to protect yourself and your family.
  1. Before you travel, be vaccinated against diseases prevalent at your destination. vaccines exist for yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and tick-borne encephalitis.
  2. consult your doctor, 4–6 weeks before departure if possible, to discuss how you can protect yourself (for example, what antimalarial medicines you should take if malaria is endemic at your destination).
  3. Wear light-coloured, long-sleeved shirts and long trousers, tucked into socks or boots, and use insect repellent on exposed skin and clothing to protect yourself from being bitten by mosquitoes, sandflies or ticks. temperature, humidity and the time of day affect the likelihood of being bitten, so know when you need extra protective clothing and insect repellent.
  4. Use window screens, if available, to keep mosquitoes outside the place where you are staying.
  5. sleep under an insecticide-treated bed net, requesting one if necessary, if you are staying in an area with malaria risk
  6. check your body regularly for ticks. if you find one, remove it with tweezers and apply a skin disinfectant. in tick-infested areas, examine your clothing, luggage and other belongings thoroughly before entering the place where you are staying.
  7. Avoid contact with blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people or animals
  8. Make sure you keep strict hygiene control of food, and avoid unpasteurized dairy products in areas where tick-borne encephalitis can be transmitted.
  9. if you are bitten and receive care abroad, remember to complete your course of treatment at home
  10. if you become ill upon your return, tell your doctor where you have been, as you may have brought a disease back with you.

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