1. Introducing the role of mosquitoes in the transmission of pathogens to wildlife

Abstract

Mosquitoes play a central role in the transmission of pathogens causing important diseases to humans and other animals. The incidence of zoonotic diseases has increased in recent decades, many of them caused by pathogens transmitted by mosquitoes. Due to the relevance of these diseases in public and animal health, medical and veterinary entomologists have traditionally focused their studies on the impact of mosquitoes, among other vectors, in diseases such as malaria, West Nile fever or dengue. However, the relevance of mosquitoes in the transmission of pathogens affecting wildlife have been comparatively neglected. The current volume of Ecology and Control of Vector-Borne Diseases series highlights significant and novel aspects of the ecology of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes to wildlife, contributing to the better understanding of their epidemiology. We hope this volume will influence to improve our understanding of the dynamics of transmission of mosquito-borne diseases in the wild and provide updated information on the surveillance, control and epidemiology of mosquito-borne zoonotic diseases.