Vektorøkosystemer

Vektorøkosystemer (vector ecosystems) are ecological networks in which disease vectors transmit pathogens to susceptible hosts within a given environment. They include the vector species, the pathogens they carry, the vertebrate or invertebrate hosts, and the physical and biological context that governs survival, reproduction, and contact rates. These systems are dynamic and shaped by climate, land use, water management, urbanization, and human activity.

Key components are vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, and triatomine bugs; pathogen groups including parasites, bacteria, and viruses; hosts ranging from humans to wildlife to domestic animals; breeding and resting habitats; and ecological interactions, such as predation, competition, and the microbiome within vectors.

Dynamics depend on spatial distribution, seasonality, and life cycles, with environmental conditions, rainfall, temperature, and habitat availability driving abundance and contact rates. Climate change and land-use change can expand or shift vector ranges, alter host communities, and change transmission risk in time and space.

Researchers use field surveillance, trapping, and pathogen testing, complemented by ecological modeling, geographic information systems, and community-based monitoring. Management options include source reduction, habitat manipulation, biological control, targeted insecticides, and public health interventions, all within an integrated, cross-sector, One Health framework.

Vector ecosystems underlie many infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue, Chagas disease, Lyme disease, and other zoonoses. Understanding their structure and dynamics supports risk assessment, surveillance, and evidence-based control, while acknowledging data gaps, resistance to control tools, and ethical considerations.