Bellekom B, Hackett TD, Lewis OT. A Network Perspective on the Vectoring of Human Disease.
Trends Parasitol 2021;
37:391-400. [PMID:
33419670 DOI:
10.1016/j.pt.2020.12.001]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Blood-sucking insects are important vectors of disease, with biting Diptera (flies) alone transmitting diseases that cause an estimated 700 000 human deaths a year. Insect vectors also bite nonhuman hosts, linking them into host-biting networks. While the major vectors of prominent diseases, such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue, and Zika, are intensively studied, there has been limited focus on the wider interactions of biting insects with nonhuman hosts. Drawing on network analysis and visualisation approaches from food-web ecology, we discuss the value of a network perspective for understanding host-insect-disease interactions, with a focus on Diptera vectors. Potential applications include highlighting pathways of disease transmission, highlighting reservoirs of infection, and identifying emerging and previously unrecognised vectors.
Collapse