[Mosquito-borne diseases spreading along with globalization. There is a great need for research and new vaccines]

The global burden of mosquito-borne diseases has seen major changes during the last few decades. Viruses like dengue, chikungunya and zika have spread rapidly all around the world. Modern transportation has facilitated the spread of vectors and pathogens to new geographical areas, sometimes resulting in large epidemics in nonimmune populations. Malaria is still an enormous burden to healthcare systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, but significant progress has been made in the global control and elimination of the disease. Climatic, ecological, demographic, social and political changes may affect the complex transmission networks, and there has been much discussion about the possible epidemiological outcomes of such changes. The present article reviews  literature on possible reasons behind the shifts in the disease burden, highlighting the complexity of the problem and the need for further research on, improved surveillance of, and public education on mosquitoes and the pathogens they carry, in order to prevent and effectively treat mosquito-borne infections.