Insects and mites of medical and veterinary importance: a broad overview

Arthropods include many species of medical or veterinary importance. Among them, several are responsible for the transmission of some dangerous diseases for humans, such as malaria, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, African trypanosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, dengue, yellow fever, and Zika. These diseases have an enormous socio-economic impact in countries where they occur. Environmental changes driven by humans, with special reference to urbanization and global warming, are promoting their emergence or re-emergence in areas where they were not previously recorded. In this scenario, the fight against key arthropod parasites and vectors relies on the knowledge of their genetic, behavioral and ecological characteristics, within a global Integrated Vector Management approach requiring new tools with proven epidemiological impact, as well as interdisciplinary communication between different research fields.