University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest

Course description

For the last two decades the importance of arthropods and arthropod-borne infections of livestock, companion animals and humans has increased considerably in Europe. Most probably the increasing frequency of some vector-borne diseases including zoonotic ones is due to a joint action of several different factors including climate warming, environmental and socio-economic changes. Climate influences the geographical distribution, density and seasonal activity of many blood-sucking arthropods. Changes in habitats, social and leisure activities of humans (e.g. travel with dogs) also affect the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases. All of these factors have especially direct impact on blood-sucking arthropods that can transmit a broad range of viral, rickettsial, bacterial and protozoan pathogens of animals and humans. The lectures of the elective subject are focusing on the most important arthropod vectors of Europe, their vector competency and capacity. Links between environment and geographical occurrence of vectors, different methods and tools used in spatial distribution prediction of these arthropods will be presented. The vectors and vector-borne infections will also be overviewed according to the geographical regions of the continent (e.g. Scandinavia, British Islands, Mediterranean countries).