A vector A carrier of a disease-causing agent from an infected individual to a non-infected individual or its food or environment; for example, mosquitoes carrying malaria parasites is a living organism A living thing such as humans, animals, plants and microbes (e.g. bacteria, viruses) that transmits an infectious agent from an infected animal to a human or another animal. Vectors are frequently arthropods, such as mosquitoes, ticks, flies, fleas and lice.
Vectors can transmit infectious diseases either actively or passively:
Diseases transmitted by vectors are called vector-borne diseases. Many vector-borne diseases are zoonotic A term given to diseases and infections that can be transmitted between animals and humans diseases, i.e. diseases that can be transmitted directly or indirectly between animals and humans. These include for example Lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis, West Nile virus, Leishmaniosis and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever.
Many vector-borne diseases are considered as emerging infectious diseases in the European Union:
Some vectors are able to move considerable distances. This may affect the transmission ranges of vector-borne zoonotic diseases. Vectors can be introduced to new geographic areas for example by:
Other factors may play a role in their establishment and persistence Persistence refers to the ability of harmful organisms like bacteria to survive and thrive despite regular cleaning and disinfection efforts, potentially lingering in hidden places for months or even years in new areas, including climatic conditions.
EFSA and its Panel on Animal Health and Welfare provide independent scientific advice and scientific assistance on human health and animal health-related aspects of vector-borne zoonotic diseases. EFSA monitors and analyses the situation on zoonoses, zoonotic micro-organisms, antimicrobial resistance The ability of microbes to grow in the presence of substances specifically designed to kill them; for example, some human infections are now resistant to antibiotics, raising concerns about their widespread use , microbiological contaminants and food-borne outbreaks across Europe.
EFSA works with European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), sharing information on present and future projects on vectors and vector-borne zoonotic diseases.
Based on data collected by the EU Member States, EFSA and ECDC produce annual European Union summary reports on vector-borne zoonoses in animals and food-borne outbreaks caused by these micro-organisms.
EFSA has produced interactive disease profiles that provide user-friendly and evidence-based information on vector-borne diseases. The disease profiles are updated through seven living systematic reviews covering: 1) Geographic Distribution; 2) Experimental Infections; 3) Vaccination Efficacy How well something works in relation to predefined standards or expectations ; 4) Pathogen Survival; 5) Diagnostic Test Accuracy 6) Vector Control and 7) Treatment Efficacy. When sufficient studies are found and reviewed, a meta-analysis A statistical method which enables the results of similar studies to be pooled in order to determine any significant trends is carried out automatically on the extracted data and the results are visualised in the disease profiles. In addition, links to other risk assessments on the diseases carried out by EFSA are provided.
Please check our video for a short demonstration of the disease profiles.