Remote Sensing for Vector-Borne Disease Prediction and Monitoring

Dear Colleagues,

The climate and environment strongly influence the presence and distribution of vectors that are responsible for significant human and animal diseases worldwide. Among various common landscapes and ecosystems, physical and environmental parameters, such as temperature, humidity, precipitation, socioeconomic aspects, human mobility, and working environment aspects, are important drivers that influence vector population dynamics, increase vectors’ competence, and accelerate virus replication within insects, while prolonging their breeding season. Additionally, topography significantly influences water and nutrient runoff and retention and affects the moisture of surface soil. Depending on the vector’s preference for mud, moisture, or aquatic breeding sites, topography contributes to promoting or inhibiting the proliferation of mosquito larval sites.

The aim of this Special Issue is to promote a deeper scientific understanding of the nexus between climate, environmental, human, and socioeconomic conditions and link them with the emerging risks of vector-borne diseases (VBDs), as well as generate even more scientific knowledge to support early warning and informed decisions for citizen awareness in settlements at risk. Emphasis is placed on the use of earth observation (EO) with advanced data-driven and/or dynamic modeling and analytic methods, leveraging big EO and in situ data. This includes entomological, epidemiological, sensor, trap, and citizen science data, together with open and accurate climatic, meteorological, landscape-, and ecosystem-related data for acquiring new knowledge, driving enhanced decisions, and delivering accurate assessments and forecasts regarding disease outbreaks. Amongst the aims is to highlight emerging state-of-the-art solutions using a user-centric co-design and co-development process, that brings together researchers, stakeholders, and practitioners in a common effort to exploit the following: (a) EU and international initiatives and flagships (e.g., EuroGEO, GEO, and Copernicus), (b) free and open data/processing infrastructures and cloud platform capacities (e.g., Copernicus DAS and Copernicus Core Services, GEE, DIAS, DestinE, etc.), and (c) capitalize on the strength of existing scientific networks, action groups, and prototype systems (e.g., EuroGEO Action Groups, GEO for Health Community of Practice, EYWA EIC Prize, etc.) and other similar actions and programs supported by international organizations such as the UN, ECDC, ESA, and WHO for driving sustainable mitigation actions and providing the highest possible protection of public health.

Suggested themes and article types for submissions:

• Earth observation in vector-borne disease (VBD) assessment, early warning, and mitigation.
• Big and extreme data usage for the modeling of VBD outbreaks, exploiting data-driven and dynamic analysis.
• AI and XAI in support of enhanced decision making, targeted awareness and mitigation actions, and sustainable public health.
• The mapping of water–vegetation complexes with VBDs and/or the nexus of water–vegetation complexes, socioeconomic, human, and mobility parameters with VBD outbreaks.
• Assessing the role of climate change in the evolution of VBD outbreaks and mitigation.
• Modern geospatial analysis approaches for mosquito control.
• Influencing parameters in clustering for VBDs.
• Research and demonstration actions for confronting global VBDs leveraging Copernicus, GEO, EuroGEO, and other relevant initiatives.

Dr. Spiros D. Mourelatos
Dr. Charalampos Kontoes
Dr. Ioannis Kioutsioukis
Dr. Christos Karydas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• vector-borne diseases
• mosquito control
• public health
• ecological modelling