STOP-MBDs: Short-term operational projections for mosquito-borne disease control

Project start: 11/2024
Project end: 10/2027
Funded by: Centre for Climate Resilience at the University of Augsburg,   Green Research Network "Building Climate Resilience for a Vital Environment (BRaVE)"
Project responsibility on site:  Prof. Dr. Elke Hertig, Dr. Christian Merkenschlager, Emmanuel Adeleke M.Sc.

The project aims at the development of an early-warning system with respect to the risk of mosquito-borne diseases in Germany. Due to climate change, invasive mosquitoes are spreading, and native species are experiencing habitat changes, increasing the risk of mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs). All mosquitoes have in common that their evolution and establishment are tied to specific temperature and precipitation thresholds. Because of the relatively short life-cycle stages of mosquitoes, changes in weather can have substantial impacts on reproduction rate, abundance, and survival. Since the weather in Central Europe is strongly influenced by large- scale teleconnection patterns like the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the project tries to establish a link between the character of these teleconnections and the seasonal abundance and distribution of native and invasive species in Germany. In addition, the project will investigate smaller-scale weather patterns and its impact on the different life-cycle stages of mosquitoes. If relationships can be confirmed, the project will make a significant contribution to the fight against MBDs.

Project partner:

Prof. Dr Harald Kunstmann, Lehrstuhl für Regionales Klima und Hydrologie, Universität Augsburg)

Dr. Mandy Schäfer, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Bundesforschungsinstitut für Tiergesundheit, Greifswald

Dr. Renke Lühken, Bernhard-Nocht-Institut für Tropenmedizin, Hamburg