Climate change, biodiversity loss, and human mobility are reshaping the global landscape of infectious disease. In this PREPARE-TID webinar, leading experts explored how integrated One Health surveillance can anticipate emerging vector-borne threats — bridging ecology, entomology, genomics, and field diagnostics.
Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) such as tick- and mosquito-borne infections are among the fastest-expanding global health challenges. Their emergence is closely tied to environmental disruption, urbanization, and shifting vector–host interactions. The session emphasized the urgency of uniting molecular and ecological perspectives to detect novel pathogens before they spill over into human populations.
How can surveillance move from reactive outbreak response to proactive risk anticipation? This discussion examined integrative strategies — from molecular field detection and genomic screening to ecological modeling and citizen science — that together form the foundation for next-generation VBD monitoring.
The webinar, titled “Towards Integrated Surveillance of Vector-Borne Diseases: Bridging Ecology, Entomology, Genomics, and Diagnostics,” was hosted by Xpedite Diagnostics as part of the EU-funded PREPARE-TID consortium series.
Featured speakers included:
Dr. Gábor Földvári, Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest
Dr. Földvári outlined the “parasite paradox” and introduced the Stockholm Paradigm, which redefines host–pathogen coevolution under climate pressure. He presented the DAMA protocol (Document–Assess–Monitor–Act), a proactive framework for identifying emerging pathogens before they reach epidemic scale. His group’s citizen-science “Tick Watcher” initiative demonstrated how public engagement can enhance early surveillance of Hyalomma ticks — vectors of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) — across Europe.
Dr. Eva Krupa, Institut Pasteur, Paris
Dr. Krupa showcased molecular strategies for detecting neglected and emerging vector-borne pathogens, emphasizing rapid, field-ready workflows. Her team’s research integrates reverse purification nucleic acid extraction, isothermal amplification (LAMP/RPA), and portable “lab suitcase” diagnostics to support field surveillance in low-resource or high-biosafety settings. She discussed how such modular workflows can be adapted for mosquitoes, ticks, and other vectors of zoonotic pathogens.
Prof. Zati Vatansever, Kafkas University, Turkey
Prof. Vatansever shared more than two decades of field experience in CCHF surveillance, highlighting ecological and socio-economic drivers of tick proliferation in Turkey. She emphasized the importance of host ecology — particularly the role of cattle and hares in maintaining Hyalomma marginatum populations — and the need for coordinated vector surveillance between health and agricultural authorities.
The live Q&A touched on citizen engagement in pathogen monitoring, data integration across European tick surveillance networks, and the challenges of standardizing field sampling protocols.
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