The black-tailed mosquito (Culiseta melanura) is the primary mosquito vector of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE).
ALBANY, N.Y. (Sept. 20, 2024) — Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a mosquito-borne disease that can induce severe fever, seizures, gastrointestinal issues and changes in behavior. About a third of EEE cases are lethal, and those who recover commonly experience lingering neurological problems. Considered rare in the United States, EEE is on the rise, with four cases recently reported in Massachusetts.
Climate change is an important driver of mosquito-borne disease. Warmer, wetter summers in the northeastern U.S. mean conditions are favorable for mosquitoes that transmit harmful diseases to people. Plus, the season of mosquito-borne disease risk is becoming longer, with the onset of warmer weather happening earlier and lasting later into the year.
University at Albany experts Alexander Ciota and Oliver Timm are available to discuss the rise of mosquito-borne diseases, including how climate change is shaping mosquito numbers and disease risk, and recommendations on how to protect against mosquito-borne disease.
Read a new Q&A with Ciota and Timm.
Alexander Ciota is an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at UAlbany’s College of Integrated Health Sciences. He also directs the Arbovirus Laboratory at the Wadsworth Center, which performs clinical testing, surveillance and research on mosquito-borne diseases including eastern equine encephalitis, West Nile virus, dengue virus and Zika virus, among others. These studies are advancing our understanding of the factors that shape mosquito-borne disease transmission, with the aim to inform novel public health interventions against these diseases.
“How climate variation affects different mosquito-borne pathogens depends on the unique ecological characteristics of each pathogen and its primary mosquito vectors. While precipitation patterns are volatile and can have differential effects on mosquito populations, consistent regional increases in temperature are generally increasing the duration, intensity and distribution of mosquito-borne virus activity. Both spring mosquito emergence and cessation of activity in the fall are triggered by environmental cues, primarily temperature, so warming will generally correspond to longer mosquito seasons.
“Within the transmission season, rising temperatures are also increasing mosquito numbers and prevalence. This is because mosquitoes develop faster at warmer temperatures. Higher temperatures are also associated with a higher likelihood of virus transmission because heat causes viruses to replicate faster and to higher levels. Since these viruses frequently mutate, this could also contribute to the emergence of new disease variants with altered virulence and transmissibility.”
Oliver Timm is an associate professor in UAlbany’s Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences. Timm’s research explores future climate projections and how these changes will influence environmental conditions on a regional level. Timm is particularly interested in how climate change will affect public health in the northeastern U.S. Vector-borne diseases are uniquely impacted by climatic conditions and already pose a growing risk in regions where they have not previously existed.
“We are seeing disease vectors moving into regions with previously unfavorable climate conditions. For example, mosquitoes are encroaching into higher-elevation mountain regions. These changes are mainly driven by rising temperature which shapes when a vector is most active, as well as conditions for optimal virus reproduction and incubation. For example, for West Nile Virus to spread in nature, the optimal temperature is between 73-78 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Together with information from future climate change scenarios, our research group developed regional maps which include predictions as to which regions in New York will begin to see temperature regimes that support West Nile Virus transmission. Overall, we expect to see increasingly favorable conditions for West Nile transmission in New York, especially in the Northwestern regions of the state.”
Alexander Ciota and Oliver Timm are available for interview via phone, Zoom or email.
About the University at Albany:
The University at Albany is one of the most diverse public research institutions in the nation and a national leader in educational equity and social mobility. As a Carnegie-classified R1 institution, UAlbany and its faculty and students are creating critical new knowledge in fields such as artificial intelligence, atmospheric and environmental sciences, business, education, public health, social sciences, criminal justice, emergency preparedness, engineering, informatics, public administration and social welfare. Our courses are taught by an accomplished roster of faculty experts with student success at the center of everything we do. Through our parallel commitments to academic excellence, scientific discovery and service to community, UAlbany molds bright, curious and engaged leaders and launches great careers.
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