This open access book identifies and discusses biodiversity’s contribution to physical, mental and spiritual health and wellbeing. Furthermore, the book identifies the implications of this relationship for nature conservation, public health, landscape architecture and urban planning – and considers the opportunities of nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation. This transdisciplinary book will attract a wide audience interested in biodiversity, ecology, resource management, public health, psychology, urban planning, and landscape architecture. The emphasis is on multiple human health benefits from biodiversity - in particular with respect to the increasing challenge of climate change. This makes the book unique to other books that focus either on biodiversity and physical health or natural environments and mental wellbeing. The book is written as a definitive ‘go-to’ book for those who are new to the field of biodiversity and health.

It is well known that several climatic, environmental and socio-demographic changes that have occurred in the last years are some of the most important causes for the emergence/resurgence of vector-borne diseases worldwide. Global change can be defined as the impact of human activity on the fundamental mechanisms of biosphere functioning. Therefore, global change includes not only climate change, but also habitat transformation, water cycle modification, biodiversity loss, synanthropic incursion of alien species into new territories, or introduction of new chemicals in nature. On this respect, some of the effects of global change on vector-borne diseases can be currently evaluated. Globalization has enabled the movement of parasites, viruses and vectors among different countries, or even at intercontinental level. On this regard, it is important to note that the increase of imported malaria cases in different Southern European countries has led to the re-appearance of autochthonous cases of disease transmission. Moreover, the used tire trade, together with global warming, have facilitated the introduction, spread and establishment of potential Dengue tropical vectors, such as Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus in temperate areas. Consequently, recently the first Dengue indigenous cases in the last decades have been reported in different Southern areas of North America and Europe. Furthermore, habitat modification, mainly deforestation and transformation of aquatic environments, together with the changes in thermal and rainfall patterns, are two of the key factors to explain the increasing incidence of Leishmaniasis and several tick-borne diseases. The aim of this Research Topic is to cover all related fields with the binomial vector-borne diseases / global change, including basic and applied research, approaches to control measures, explanations of new theories, opinion articles, reviews, etc. To discuss these issues, a holistic and integrative point of view is necessary, which only would be achieved by the close and active participation of specialists on entomology, parasitology, virology and epidemiology. Our objective is to use a systems approach to the problem of global change and vector-borne diseases. To achieve this ambitious goal and to comply with a demand of first-rate scientific and medical interest, we are very keen on asking for the participation of multiple contributors.

Pathogens transmitted among humans, animals, or plants by insects and arthropod vectors have been responsible for significant morbidity and mortality throughout recorded history. Such vector-borne diseases â€" including malaria, dengue, yellow fever, and plague â€" together accounted for more human disease and death in the 17th through early 20th centuries than all other causes combined. Over the past three decades, previously controlled vector-borne diseases have resurged or reemerged in new geographic locations, and several newly identified pathogens and vectors have triggered disease outbreaks in plants and animals, including humans. Domestic and international capabilities to detect, identify, and effectively respond to vector-borne diseases are limited. Few vaccines have been developed against vector-borne pathogens. At the same time, drug resistance has developed in vector-borne pathogens while their vectors are increasingly resistant to insecticide controls. Furthermore, the ranks of scientists trained to conduct research in key fields including medical entomology, vector ecology, and tropical medicine have dwindled, threatening prospects for addressing vector-borne diseases now and in the future. In June 2007, as these circumstances became alarmingly apparent, the Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a workshop to explore the dynamic relationships among host, pathogen(s), vector(s), and ecosystems that characterize vector-borne diseases. Revisiting this topic in September 2014, the Forum organized a workshop to examine trends and patterns in the incidence and prevalence of vector-borne diseases in an increasingly interconnected and ecologically disturbed world, as well as recent developments to meet these dynamic threats. Participants examined the emergence and global movement of vector-borne diseases, research priorities for understanding their biology and ecology, and global preparedness for and progress toward their prevention, control, and mitigation. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

As global climate change proliferates, so too do the health risks associated with the changing world around us. Called for in the President’s Climate Action Plan and put together by experts from eight different Federal agencies, The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health: A Scientific Assessment is a comprehensive report on these evolving health risks, including: Temperature-related death and illness Air quality deterioration Impacts of extreme events on human health Vector-borne diseases Climate impacts on water-related Illness Food safety, nutrition, and distribution Mental health and well-being This report summarizes scientific data in a concise and accessible fashion for the general public, providing executive summaries, key takeaways, and full-color diagrams and charts. Learn what health risks face you and your family as a result of global climate change and start preparing now with The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health.

Vector-borne infectious diseases, such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and plague, cause a significant fraction of the global infectious disease burden; indeed, nearly half of the world's population is infected with at least one type of vector-borne pathogen (CIESIN, 2007; WHO, 2004a). Vector-borne plant and animal diseases, including several newly recognized pathogens, reduce agricultural productivity and disrupt ecosystems throughout the world. These diseases profoundly restrict socioeconomic status and development in countries with the highest rates of infection, many of which are located in the tropics and subtropics. Although this workshop summary provides an account of the individual presentations, it also reflects an important aspect of the Forum philosophy. The workshop functions as a dialogue among representatives from different sectors and allows them to present their beliefs about which areas may merit further attention. These proceedings summarize only the statements of participants in the workshop and are not intended to be an exhaustive exploration of the subject matter or a representation of consensus evaluation. Vector-Borne Diseases : Understanding the Environmental, Human Health, and Ecological Connections, Workshop Summary (Forum on Microbial Threats) summarizes this workshop.

Vector-borne diseases (e.g., malaria, filariasis, dengue, chikungunya, Japanese encepha-litis, yellow fever, leishmaniasis etc.) are today one of the major causes of human suffering, both in terms of increasing morbidity/ mortality and stunting intellectual/ economic growth. No country, whether in tropics or temperate and developed or underdeveloped, is spared from their devastating impacts. The global disease burden is nearly unfathomable and there is a necessity to ponder over this issue for developing successful mitigation and response strategies. This book, Vector-Borne Diseases: Epidemiology & Control, explores in a unique way several biological and ecological phenomena of vector-borne diseases in context with their impact on human health and economy, in addition to update our knowledge on emerging regional and global vector-borne disease scenarios, public and animal health preparedness to enhance prevention, control, and therapeutic measures by employing scientific and techn- ological advances through integrating available as well as innovative strategies to address current and future threats. This proceedings book of the 8th Int. Symp. of Vectors and Vector-borne Diseases is comprising 35 highly specialized articles on varied subjects presented in a lucid language and will hopefully serve a good purpose to all the researchers, university/ medical college UG/PG students, general public health enthusiasts/stakeholders and government officials who yearn to be updated on the subject of vector-borne diseases and are in some way or other contributing their bit towards elimination or control of these diseases.