title: Towards an integrated approach in surveillance of vector-borne diseases in Europe.
abstract: Vector borne disease (VBD) emergence is a complex and dynamic process. Interactions between multiple disciplines and responsible health and environmental authorities are often needed for an effective early warning, surveillance and control of vectors and the diseases they transmit. To fully appreciate this complexity, integrated knowledge about the human and the vector population is desirable. In the current paper, important parameters and terms of both public health and medical entomology are defined in order to establish a common language that facilitates collaboration between the two disciplines. Special focus is put on the different VBD contexts with respect to the current presence or absence of the disease, the pathogen and the vector in a given location. Depending on the context, whether a VBD is endemic or not, surveillance activities are required to assess disease burden or threat, respectively. Following a decision for action, surveillance activities continue to assess trends.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, Bilthoven, the Netherlands. marieta.braks@rivm.nl
authors.forename: Marieta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Braks
authors.forename: Joke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van der Giessen
authors.forename: Mirjam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kretzschmar
authors.forename: Wifrid
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van Pelt
authors.forename: Ernst-Jan
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Scholte
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reusken
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zeller
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van Bortel
authors.forename: Hein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sprong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods*; D004199:Disease Vectors; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*