Risk mapping of West Nile Fever outbreaks and establishment in Switzerland under current climate conditions and climate change
Staff involved: Giulia Savioli, Reda Zahri, Lilian Goepp, Ioannis Magouras
Duration: 2024 - 2025
West Nile Virus (WNV) is a zoonotic vector-borne pathogen circulating in a mosquito-bird transmission cycle. Mammals, particularly humans and horses, may suffer severe neurological disease in a small fraction of infections. WNV causes one of the most severe zoonotic diseases in Europe, although to date only one autochthonous human case has been reported in Switzerland. Climate change affects the distribution of the vector and virus, making WNV a high-priority emerging pathogen. Previous studies have modelled risk of WNV in Europe, including the effects of climate change, but no studies have focussed on Switzerland. This study aimed to create a fine-scale risk map of WNV outbreaks and establishment for Switzerland, analysing the effect of climate change on risk.
