Strategies to control mosquito-borne virus infections

In the past decades, the world has experienced a large increase in outbreaks of viruses transmitted by mosquitoes. Many mosquito-borne viruses present significant global health threats, causing severe diseases such as hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis and chronic arthritis. Well-known examples are the dengue virus, Zika virus and chikungunya virus. Improving global preparedness is thus of utmost importance. Despite the significant disease burden and widespread presence, antiviral drugs and (efficient) vaccines are not available. This presentation will give an overview on the currently available measures to control mosquito-borne viruses. Furthermore, it will provide insights in the development of antiviral therapies as well as in new strategies to fight mosquito-borne viruses.

After viewing this lecture, participants should be able to:
1. Understand and define the burden that mosquito-borne viruses are posing on global human health.
2. Describe the different measures that are currently available to control mosquito-borne virus infections.
3. Identify the major challenges for implementing antiviral therapies for mosquito-borne virus infections.

Leen Delang, PhD, MSc
Assistant Research Professor
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation
Virology and Chemotherapy Division
University of Leuven, Belgium

10/26/22

[yerominm]

Outstanding and informative presentation