Vector-Borne Diseases

Vectors are living organisms that can transmit infectious diseases either between humans or from animals to humans. Mosquitoes are the best known disease vector; others include ticks, flies, sand flies, fleas, triatomine, bugs and some freshwater aquatic snails.

Key Facts:

Worldwide, vector-borne diseases account for more than 17% of all infectious diseases, causing more than 1 million deaths annually.
More than 2.5 billion people in over 100 countries are at risk of contracting dengue alone.
Malaria causes more than 400 000 deaths every year globally, most of them are children under 5 years.
Other diseases, such as chagas disease, leishmaniasis and schistosomiasis, affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
Main Reasons of disease transmission: globalization, travel and trade, unplanned urbanization and environmental challenges such as climate change
Some diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and West Nile virus are emerging in countries for the first time

In Lebanon, the Syrian crisis is a major risk factor for the emergence of vector-borne diseases due to displacement of carriers.
The accumulation of the garbage in Lebanon and the warm weather constitute a favorable condition for the breeding of vectors such as rodents, insects, mosquitoes and ticks.
Many of these diseases are preventable through appropriate protective measures.