Remote Sensing for Operational Surveillance of Mosquito-Borne Diseases

Remote sensing observations have demonstrated increasing value in identifying human risk from mosquito-borne diseases because mosquito ecology is intrinsically tied to geophysical variables measurable by satellites. Satellite-based monitoring of environmental conditions at varying temporal and spatial scales has extended our capacity for mosquito surveillance and control for many mosquito-borne diseases, including malaria, dengue, Zika, West Nile fever, and Rift Valley fever. However, technical challenges and operational limitations continue to pose barriers for more routine integration of satellite data into management programs. To achieve this, we need to more explicitly connect these technologies to practical management scales, which are often disconnected from the spatial and temporal scales at which remote sensing data are readily accessible. Here, we comprehensively review advances in remote sensing and ecological research with a focus on their contributions to operational mosquito surveillance and control. We synthesize current research, derivative applications, and challenges associated with using remote sensing to understand mosquito-borne disease ecology and evaluate multi-scale satellite-based opportunities to translate technical advances to control and management actions. Finally, we develop actionable guidelines for an integrated strategy of cross-disciplinary collaboration in the public health community to expand adoption of remote sensing approaches for a variety of mosquito-borne infectious diseases.