As members of the E4Warning consortium, Gina Tsarouchi, Quillon Harpham (HR Wallingford), Lyra Tyson (UPF), and Remy Hoek Spaans (BSC) traveled to Sri Lanka in November to participate in a workshop organized by Dr. Lahiru Kodithuwakku and Gina Tsarouchi. The event, in collaboration with the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) and the Ministry of Health, focused on enhancing innovative tools for dengue prediction and control.

The workshop aimed to train participants in using the D-MOSS platform, a live dengue forecasting system combining satellite earth observation data, climate models, and statistical tools to provide probabilistic forecasts of dengue outbreaks. It also served as a valuable opportunity to adapt the methods to Sri Lanka’s unique public health context, informed by input from local professionals.

Bringing Together Experts from Across Sri Lanka

The workshop attracted over 80 participants from districts across the country, including entomologists, regional epidemiologists, medical officers of health, academics, NGOs, and representatives from the NDCU. This diverse group ensured that the discussions were enriched with practical insights and multidisciplinary expertise.

Dr. Preshila Samaraweera kicked off the workshop with an informative presentation on Sri Lanka’s progress in dengue control, highlighting current research projects and interventions. This set the stage for the D-MOSS training sessions, where participants had hands-on opportunities to test the system and provide feedback.

Training, Feedback, and Collaboration

The D-MOSS platform was well-received, with participants exploring its ability to visualize past, current, and forecasted dengue trends. One participant noted:

“These elements collectively offer a comprehensive view of past, present, and predicted dengue trends, supporting proactive planning and response.”

Following a lunch break, attendees learned about the statistical modeling methods used in E4Warning, with a focus on interpreting probabilistic forecasts. A group discussion then explored ways to enhance the dengue early warning system, including the integration of new data sources such as mobility patterns and socio-economic data. The day concluded with a presentation on the Mosquito Alert platform, sparking a lively conversation about how citizen science could contribute to vector control in Sri Lanka.

Lessons Learned and Next Steps

Reflecting on two intensive days of learning, several valuable lessons emerged from the experience. As highlighted during the workshop discussions, effective dengue control—particularly larval source management—requires a multi-sectoral approach. For example, Aedes mosquitoes often breed in artificial containers that fall under the responsibility of different sectors, such as road maintenance crews for potholes or port authorities for harbor areas.

Another critical area for improvement is the integration of entomological data into a digital infrastructure. Currently, much of this data is collected on paper, limiting its accessibility and use for coordinated control efforts. Digitizing these records would enhance monitoring, analysis, and intervention strategies.

Additionally, dengue prediction models could be further refined by incorporating mobility patterns and socio-economic census data, offering a more comprehensive understanding of how the disease spreads and where interventions could be most effective.

By continuously enhancing the digital tools developed through the E4Warning project, we aim to support the Sri Lankan National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) in achieving its ambitious goals for dengue control and prevention.

Some members of the E4Warning team attended the 23rd ESOVE Conference (European Society for Vector Ecology), held from October 14-17, 2024, in Montpellier, France. This edition was organized by the Vectopole Sud network, which includes research partners from the Occitanie region: Cirad, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, University of Montpellier, Toulouse Veterinary School, and EID Méditerranée, the main public vector control operator in France.

Catuxa Cerecedo (CEAB-CSIC) presented her talk titled “Integrating citizen and authoritative surveillance data in mosquito distribution models,” a study framed within the E4Warning project on the Session Surveillance systems, community-based surveillance and management of VBDs. Her research explores how to integrate mosquito observations collected by citizens using the Mosquito Alert tool with mosquito counts from traditional traps and assesses whether this integration improves habitat suitability models for mosquito species or provides additional insights into mosquito abundances. Exploring the integration of various data sources to model vector dynamics and abundance is one of the project’s key objectives.

The conference also featured presentations from other groups outside the consortium using data collected through Mosquito Alert, as well as studies testing the effectiveness of Vectrack smart traps developed by the partner IRIDEON.

In April, Frederic Bartumeus and Alex Richter-Boix, members of the CSIC and Mosquito Alert team had the opportunity to participate in the WSA Global Congress held in the region of Los Lagos, Southern Chile, as winners of the WSG 2023.

At the congress, the team presented the Mosquito Alert tool developed by CSIC and UPF, an integral part of the E4Warning project aimed at enhancing the capabilities of monitoring and managing vectors and mosquito-borne diseases. Over recent years, the tool has proven its effectiveness and impact by detecting the early presence of invasive mosquitoes –like the tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus– that can act as vectors, as well as capturing and modelling the dynamics of their populations, contributing to improving the management of mosquitoes in cities like Barcelona, Spain, in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Barcelona (ASPB) which are also partners of E4Warning.

The theme of this year’s WSA Congress, “planet_hack_,” was aptly chosen to highlight the urgent need to address climate change and the expanding opportunities for technological and environmental innovations that accompany this challenge. Participation in the event allowed to not only share the achievements and the impacts of the Mosquito Alert tool but also to engage with other innovators, fostering a network of contacts.

The congress was a celebration of impact entrepreneurship, aligning perfectly with the UN’s global goals and providing a platform for like-minded pioneers to connect and exchange ideas. The team returned energized, ready to build on the substantial progress already made in public health surveillance and excited about the promising new collaborations that arose from this inspiring event.

Read more about the event and the 2023 winner’s catalog here: https://wsa-global.org/2024/01/10/wsa-global-congress-2024-goes-chile/ 

We are thrilled to announce that the E4Warning project will be participating in an upcoming webinar on May 21st, 2024, at 11 AM CET entitled: Citizen Science in Environmental Observations and Health Research.  This webinar will explore innovative engagement strategies within Citizen Science initiatives and the impactful use of Mobile Applications, in collaboration with the OneAquaHealth project and Wise Angle Consulting S.L.

During this session, we will exchange experiences and insights on successful citizen engagement techniques. The first segment of the webinar will highlight citizen science approaches, featuring presentations from OneAquaHealth, DRYvER, and our very own E4WARNING project. We will delve into our collective experiences involving citizens, and the results obtained in Europe.

In the latter half of the webinar, we will concentrate on mobile apps as digitial solution, where the creators of Pharaon and Invasoras.pt Apps will offer a deep dive into the common challenges encountered while promoting these apps and designing them with a user-centric approach.

We are excited to share our journey and learn from our peers in this collaborative setting. Join us as we discuss, learn, and pave the way forward in the integration of community-driven science and technology for the betterment of environmental and health research.

Don’t wait and register here: https://www.oneaquahealth.eu/oneaquahealth-citizen-science-webinar-2024/

Eva Veronesi (SUPSI) attended the 6th International Workshop on Aedes albopictus in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from March 28-29, 2024. Organized by the Institute Pasteur of Cambodia, the workshop was led by Dr. Sébastien Boyer (head of the Medical and Veterinary Entomology Unit at the Institute). The opening session was presided over by Prof. André Spiegel, Director of the Institute Pasteur of Cambodia, with the presence of Professor Chheang Ra, Minister of Health of Cambodia, Mr. Jacques Pellet, Ambassador of France to Cambodia, and Dr. Boyer, who delivered the introductory talk.

The Aedes albopictus, commonly known as the tiger mosquito, is a principal carrier of Dengue fever, Chikungunya, Zika, and at least 20 other significant pathogens impacting public health. Originating from the tropical and subtropical zones of Southeast Asia, the tiger mosquito has expanded its reach globally over the last century, facilitated by international trade and travel. Distinguished by distinctive white stripes on its legs and body, the species has adapted well to human environments. As a considerable nuisance, the tiger mosquito typically resides close to human habitats and is known for its daytime biting behavior, especially during early morning and late afternoon periods.

The event was focused on enhancing scientific collaboration and showing innovative vector control strategies. Key research topics covered included vector models of invasion and dispersal, and the role of the species as a bridge vector, including the influence of climate change on vector behavior. For that, the workshop unfolded five sessions:

• Aedes albopictus in Asia.
• Biology and Ecology of Aedes albopictus.
• Vector control: challenges and innovations.
• Vector control: insecticide resistance.
• New surveillance strategies.

It was during the session on innovative surveillance strategies that E4Warning was spotlighted. The presentation titled “The Role of E4Warning in Combating the Spread of Dengue in Asia and its Potential Incursion into Europe” by Eva Veronesi showcased to the audience the surveillance tools involved in the project, such as Mosquito Alert (CSIC, UPF), VECMAP (AVIA-GIS)  and the smart traps designed by IRIDEON. Additionally, it highlighted the dengue models developed by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) and HR Wallingford.

Link to the agenda of the event: Agenda 6th International Workshop on Aedes albopictus

E4Warning participated in the high-level conference “Research Perspectives on the Health Impacts of Climate Change,” organized by the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) of the European Commission. This event, held in Brussels on February 19th and 20th, 2024, aimed to highlight the crucial nexus between climate change and global health issues.

Chloe Fletcher, a PhD candidate from the Global Health Resilience group at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), attended the conference. Her research focuses on developing statistical models for predicting outbreaks of climate-sensitive infectious diseases, such as dengue and leptospirosis. Fletcher presented a poster titled “A Generalized Modelling Framework for Dengue Early Warning Systems in South and Southeast Asia,” a collaborative effort involving Ramy Hoek Spaans (BSC), Sophie Belman (BSC), Chloe Fletcher (BSC), Quillon Harpham (HRW), Gina Tsarouchi (HRW), and Rachel Lowe (BSC), all contributing to the E4Warning project.

This study aims to broaden the successful application of the Dengue Forecasting Model Satellite-based System (D-MOSS), originally implemented in Vietnam, to include Sri Lanka and Malaysia. By employing a Bayesian modeling approach and contrasting it with the conventional practices of dengue outbreak monitoring in each nation, the research seeks to identify which dengue predictors remain consistent or vary across these diverse regions.

The goal is to establish a universally applicable template for developing dengue early warning systems. The D-MOSS platform, which underpins this forecasting system, is managed by HR Wallingford. A key ambition of E4Warning is to collaborate intimately with local partners to deliver actionable data visualizations, thereby enabling an informed, data-driven approach to dengue management.

You can view the summaries of other posters presented during the conference at this link.

The XI International Conference of the EMCA, held from November 7th to 10th, 2023, in Palma de Mallorca, served as a gathering for vector control specialists to share research and insights. With the theme “Shaping the Future of Vector Control in Europe,” the conference was organized by Dr. Francis Schaffner, president of EMCA, along with Dr. Carlos Barceló and Prof. Miguel A. Miranda from the Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB). Among the highlights was E4Warning’s presentation on their Mark-Release-Recapture (MRR) experiments with Culex pipiens mosquitoes.

Eva Veronesi from SUPSI discussed the developed protocol for breeding, marking, and recapturing these mosquitoes and shared preliminary results from two pilot studies conducted in Switzerland last September. These studies are vital for understanding mosquito behavior and movement, key factors in vector-borne disease control.

The MRR technique, a fundamental method in ecological studies, involves capturing, marking, and releasing individuals back into their environment, then recapturing them after a period. This technique provides insights into movement patterns, survival rates, and population sizes, crucial for ecological and epidemiological studies.

In the summer of 2024, these methodologies will be applied in Switzerland and Spain to study the dispersal capacity of Culex mosquitoes, especially Culex pipiens and Culex molestus, which are known for transmitting the West Nile Virus (WNV).

These experiments are part of Work Package 5 (WP5) in the E4Warning project, which focuses on quantifying and understanding the movements of both vectors (mosquitoes) and hosts (birds) in WNV transmission. The data obtained will be instrumental in developing strategies to control WNV in Europe.

Additionally, the conference served as a valuable meeting point for various partners involved in the E4Warning project. This opportunity for face-to-face interaction and collaboration among researchers and specialists was crucial for fostering synergy and advancing the project’s objectives. Such gatherings reinforce the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing public health challenges like vector-borne diseases.

The 2nd International One-Health Conference, held in Barcelona on October 19-20, 2023, saw a distinguished assembly of professionals from diverse fields come together to advance the multidisciplinary conversation on public health. Among the attendees was Frederic Bartumeus from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), who presented the groundbreaking work of E4Warning.

With health being an essential aspect of modern society, the conference set forth the goal of bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and policy-making through a One Health approach—a holistic and integrated perspective on health that considers human, animal, and environmental well-being. The event aimed to foster synergistic dialogues among research fields and action domains, engaging researchers, experts, students, and decision-makers.

Central to the congress were the framing questions that challenge current paradigms and seek to integrate the One-Health framework into the health sector comprehensively. Discussions revolved around the inclusion of the One-Health framework in legislation under the EU, understanding the interlinkages between health, climate change, and decision-making, and identifying the concerns health professionals have regarding the One Health concept. The conference sought not only to outline the open questions but also to explore opportunities and solutions to overcome barriers to implementing the One-Health approach.

In this context, Frederic Bartumeus presented E4Warning’s contribution to enhancing urban resilience capacities through the One Health approach. He outlined the innovative tools developed as part of E4Warning and the various methodologies employed to address the risks of mosquito-borne diseases within the framework of eco-epidemiological intelligence. His presentation shed light on the project’s interdisciplinary strategies for early warning and response, which are crucial in the context of a changing climate and emerging health threats.

Bartumeus’s participation underscored the pivotal role of E4Warning in providing actionable solutions and insights, reinforcing the importance of integrating scientific research with policy and decision-making. The conference also had the participation of Maria Feio from the University of Coimbra, who’s  contribution to the conference centered around the innovative OneAquaHealth project, which underscores the potential of earth observations to monitor changes in urban aquatic ecosystems that are pertinent to human health.

The 2nd International One-Health Conference was more than a meeting of minds; it was a step forward in operationalizing the One Health concept in a way that meets the pressing health challenges of our times.

Willy Wint (ERGO), representing E4Warning, attended the EuroGEO workshop held in Bolzano on the 2nd and 3rd of October. E4Warning was featured in a session that delved into pressing issues related to climate-induced disasters and health challenges. This session, titled “Addressing climate-induced disasters and health challenges: the contribution of EuroGEO and GEO-CRADLE initiatives and the way forward”, highlighted the vital role of Earth Observations in tackling environmental and health-related adversities.

The workshop session, chaired by Haris Kontoes (NOA/BEYOND), set out with clear objectives: to showcase the successful integration of Earth Observation data into services tailored for mitigating climate-triggered disasters and health concerns. Stories of success from EuroGEO initiatives, including e-shape and the valuable contributions from the Disasters and Health Action Groups, were shared, emphasizing the scientific and service advancements made by these groups.

In a show of collective progress and strategic foresight, the session also outlined concrete roadmaps aimed at ensuring the sustainability of these actions and services. It highlighted the importance of promoting open access to Earth Observation data and science, alongside showcasing sustainable business models that utilize this data for the benefit of diverse stakeholders.

The commitment to designing future joint actions, like policy papers, special journal editions, and various workshops and webinars, stood out as a testament to the collaborative spirit driving these initiatives forward. This collaborative effort, supported by the EuroGEO Secretariat and relevant CSAs such as GEO-CRADLE and COERNICUS FPCUP, aims to forge synergies that will have a long-lasting impact on the global strategy post-2025 for addressing climate-related disasters and health crises.

Notable presentations from the session included:

• FRIEND’s innovative approach to flood risk and impact assessment by Marco Folegani (MEEO)
• MountaiNow‘s live mapping of mountain hazards, presented by Alexia Massacand
• SOL’s real-time flood forecast and early-warning system by Marco Mancini (PoliMi/MMI)
• EYWA’s Early Warning System for Mosquito-Borne Diseases from Haris Kontoes (NOA/BEYOND)
• E4Warning’s initiative on eco-epidemiological intelligence, presented by Willy Wint (ERGO)
• OneAquaHealth by Maria Feio (University of Coimbra) focusing on the potential of Earth Observations in urban aquatic ecosystems
• GEO-CRADLE‘s capacity building efforts across various regions, discussed by Alexia Tsouni (NOA/BEYOND)
• The Copernicus Health Hub, which connects environmental data with the health community, by Julie Letertre (ECMWF)

The session culminated in a round table discussion, moderated by Haris Kontoes, which allowed for an engaging exchange of ideas and experiences among the speakers.