Introducing our new partner, VecNet

The mosquito has been described as the most dangerous insect in the world as it is the vector that transmits many harmful diseases. The mosquito-borne disease with the greatest detrimental impact is undoubtedly malaria.

The Vector-Borne Disease Network, also known as VecNet, is an international consortium that develops resources to support efforts towards eliminating malaria in endemic countries. With these resources, researchers are able to effectively analyse the transmission of malaria to humans from mosquitos, and in turn, develop successful vector control tools.

VecNet tools include The Digital Library which provides a means to create and curate a wide range of vector-specific information. The Library contains curated, tagged citations, articles and reports on entomology, demography, climatology, and interventions to support the analysis of malaria eradication (see figure below). For example, bionomic parameters include sugar meal frequency, peak biting time, form of larval habitat, human blood index and flight range.

VecNet Digital Library

The searchable library provides information freely and easily, and it ensures the availability of data and information to the scientific community to support the provision of affordable health solutions for the people most in need within the developing world. Users can access data needed to create experimental scenarios and explore simulation results to guide policy development in malaria endemic countries.

VecNet’s Orchestrator, Dr Tom Burkot adds, “We are also developing a modelling platform called Transmission Simulator that enables researchers to analyse the potential of emerging vector control tools and drug-based interventions. The results from these simulations can inform malaria control specialists on what tools are predicted to be most effective in their region and pinpoint regions where present approaches are ineffective.”

VecNet and WWARN are discussing how best to share summarised data on drug access, medication compliance and levels of resistance to antimalarials. This combined information could be used in simulation models that might inform future drug and vector policies. To conceptualise this, a user might be able to run simulations combining epidemiological outcomes from antimalarial drug treatment, alongside a variety of simulated vector control strategies, for a specified area.  This would enable users to ‘trial’ interventions through simulations, to establish the most beneficial intervention for each location, without expending time and resources.

We welcome your ideas as our partners on how drug and vector data might be analysed jointly to ask and answer questions on interventions that would be most effective in reducing malaria transmission.

You can also sign-up to VecNet’s newsletter to receive updates on their tools or follow them on Twitter @VecNetNews.