Dr. Carla Maia of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, presented initial findings from the CLIMOS project at the 30th Conference of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP) in Curitiba, Brazil. Her talk, titled “Phlebotomine sand fly surveillance across Europe and neighbouring countries in 2023,” shared the project’s first entomological results, highlighting a significant and ongoing effort to understand sand fly populations in the context of climate and environmental changes.
The importance of sand fly surveillance
CLIMOS research focuses on phlebotomine sand flies as vectors for diseases like leishmaniasis and phleboviruses. As climate change and human-driven environmental shifts alter ecosystems, their geographic range and seasonality are also changing. CLIMOS is pioneering the first climate-driven, standardised sand fly dataset in Europe, laying the foundation for future research and public health efforts. This project aims to monitor these shifts through coordinated surveillance across Europe and its neighbouring regions. https://climos-project.eu/
The presentation at WAAVP provided a platform to showcase the initial data collection and analysis, underscoring the collaborative nature of the project across Europe. Dr. Maia emphasised the dedication of the CLIMOS partners and collaborators, acknowledging their hard work in making the surveillance a success.
About the WAAVP Conference
The WAAVP Conference is a leading international event that unites professionals and researchers from the field of veterinary parasitology. Its mission is to advance scientific knowledge and foster collaboration to improve the health of both animals and humans. The conference serves as a forum for sharing cutting-edge research, discussing technological advancements, and building partnerships to tackle pressing issues related to parasites in domestic, wild, and aquatic animals. Topics covered typically range from epidemiology and control to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of parasitic diseases.
