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Open research questions in Mosquito-borne diseases and control

85 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 616 Mosquito-borne diseases and control papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Endogenous viral elements (EVEs) from non-retroviral RNA viruses are widespread in host genomes, yet their functional significance in vivo remains poorly understood.

    Non-retroviral Endogenous Viral Element Acts as a Stable Antiviral Regulator Across Mosquito Life Stages and Generations · 2026 · DOI

  • Dengue virus (DENV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, establishes persistent infections in Aedes vectors, yet the mechanisms underlying viral persistence and potential genomic integration remain poorly understood.

    Evidence for virus-derived DNA and host–virus chimeric events generating in mosquito cell cultures following infection with dengue virus serotype 1 · 2026 · DOI

  • The vectors of RVFV are not well characterized in this area, particularly with respect to species composition, seasonal abundance, and potential vector roles; however, several potential mosquito vector species have been identified.

    Species composition, abundance and seasonality of potential Rift Valley fever virus vectors in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa · 2026 · DOI

  • These results indicate that the biocontrol potential of AalDV2 cannot be assessed independently of thermal context: while lethal effects were absent under both fluctuating regimes, the prolongation of aquatic development by the virus under thermal stress may have indirect consequences for mosquito population dynamics that warrant further investigation.

    Tis But a Scratch! Negligible fitness costs of AalDV2 infection in Aedes albopictus under fluctuating temperatures and implications for viral biocontrol · 2026 · DOI

  • The retrospective sub-study revealed the presence of dengue, chikungunya and malaria cases, as well as one case of RVFV and two cases of WNV, the circulation of which had not been previously documented in Mali during the period under review. The major contribution of this study is that it provides new clinical and epidemiological information on dengue fever in Mali, a subject poorly documented.

    Study of patients with acute undifferentiated fever identifies dengue as a growing threat to public health in Mali · 2026 · DOI

  • Our work highlights the synergistic effect of microvascular cells during orthoflavivirus haemorrhage and emphasises the need for further work into the mechanisms of vascular dysfunction during AHFV and KFDV infection.

    Direct effects on endothelial cells are essential for perivascular cell (pericyte)-dependent amplification of orthoflavivirus NS1-mediated microvascular leakage · 2026 · DOI

  • Our findings suggest that a direct effect of NS1 on endothelial dysfunction is required for pericyte-driven amplification of hyperpermeability, and that effects on pericytes alone are insufficient to trigger microvascular leakage.

    Direct effects on endothelial cells are essential for perivascular cell (pericyte)-dependent amplification of orthoflavivirus NS1-mediated microvascular leakage · 2026 · DOI

  • The emerging tick-borne flaviviruses Alkhumra haemorrhagic fever virus (AHFV) and Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV) can cause severe haemorrhagic disease, yet the mechanisms driving vascular leakage remain unclear.

    Direct effects on endothelial cells are essential for perivascular cell (pericyte)-dependent amplification of orthoflavivirus NS1-mediated microvascular leakage · 2026 · DOI

  • Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a common and clinically relevant skin stressor that induces inflammation and tissue remodelling, yet its impact on arbovirus infection is poorly understood.

    P35 Ultraviolet radiation remodels the skin to increase susceptibility to mosquito-borne virus infection · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should explore dengue vaccine uptake and drivers of vaccine acceptancy and hesitancy in the real-world context of a novel vaccine introduction, and healthcare providers should be equipped with locally rel- evant data to respond to possible vaccine concerns with accurate information.

    Dengue vaccine: a hidden risk to <i>Aedes aegypti</i> control in Brazil · 2026 · DOI

  • Arboviral encephalitis remains a major public health concern in tropical Asia, where the etiology of a substantial proportion of central nervous system infections remains undetermined despite endemic circulation of dengue virus (DENV) and Japanese encephalitis virus.

    Letter to the Editor: Dengue virus as an underrecognized cause of encephalitis in tropical Asia - Bridging diagnostic and surveillance gaps · 2026 · DOI

  • Background Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) is a major determinant of disease severity in flavivirus infections, yet the host-associated factors that regulate the transition from antibody-mediated uptake to productive infection remain incompletely defined.

    FcγRIIA signalling as a host-associated determinant of endosomal trafficking and antibody-dependent enhancement in flavivirus infection · 2026 · DOI

  • Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an emerging arbovirus that causes major morbidity in tropical regions, but its epidemiology in Southern Africa is poorly defined.

    Epidemiology, seroprevalence, and circulation of Chikungunya virus in Southern Africa (SADC region): A systematic review · 2026 · DOI

  • Whether vector-borne and contact-mediated diseases responded differently to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has not been quantified within a unified national surveillance framework over an extended period.

    TRENDS-Thai: decadal trends of dengue, chikungunya, and hand, foot, and mouth disease in Thailand (2016-2025): a multi-disease time-series analysis of COVID-19 disruption · 2026 · DOI

  • This review has important limitations. The evidence base consists entirely of case reports, which are vulnerable to publication bias, selective reporting, and heterogeneity in diagnostic evaluation and outcome assessment. Variability in diagnostic criteria and incomplete exclusion of alter- native causes introduce potential misclassification bias. Dengue serotype, autoimmune testing, standardized dis- ability scores and duration of follow-up were inconsistently reported, limiting mechanistic inference and prognosis stratification. The most frequently unmet quality criterion was explicit reporting of adverse events, which may have led to underestimation of treatment-related complications. Because case reports do not allow estimation of incidence or comparative treatment efficacy, causal inferences remain limited.

    Clinical characteristics and outcomes of dengue-associated transverse myelitis: A systematic review of case reports · 2026 · DOI

  • sequencing frameworks, into JEV preparedness sequencing was used to verify lineage and assess divergence from reference Nakayama sequences (Mansfield et al., 2025). A biorisk assessment of the unregistered vial prompted corrective actions, including enhanced access control, barcode-based inventories, and reconciliation of historical stocks.

    Discovery of a Japanese Encephalitis Virus Nakayama Substrain Highlights the Dual Lessons of Molecular Characterization and Laboratory Biosafety · 2026 · DOI

  • This study had several limitations. First, the absence of comprehensive demographic data on cross-city movement prevented the calculation of incidence rates among mobile populations and comparisons with overall incidence, thereby PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0014360 May 22, 2026 14 / 17 restricting further analysis of transmission dynamics, which is essential for formulating targeted policies and control measures. Second, for cases with uncertain exposure or dates of symptom onset, we applied conservative assump- tions, although unaccounted inaccuracies may remain in the data. In addition, our analysis relied exclusively on reported confirmed cases, which may over-represent severe or hospitalized infections, potentially biasing the estimated incubation period relative to milder or asymptomatic infections. Third, the observed pattern of patients returning to their hometowns for medical care need to be further investigated. Future studies incorporating patient surveys could offer valuable insights into individual motivations, enabling a multi-scale analytical approach that integrates both macro-level flow trends and micro-level behavioral factors. Such studies may be more informative for cross-jurisdictional resource allocation and public health planning.

    The cross-city mobility patterns and incubation period of the early-stage chikungunya fever outbreak in Guangdong Province, China, in 2025 · 2026 · DOI

  • Considering the current epidemiological scenario and the strate- gies defined by healthcare authorities worldwide, the following is recommended: Priority 1 - surveillance & early detection • Ensure timely and full implementation of regional, national and information by rapidly notifying international flow of Chikungunya cases to competent surveillance systems. • Strengthen integrated epidemiological and entomological surveil- lance systems by sharing data in a timely manner at regional and national levels. • Ensuring timely diagnosis by employing common definitions: laboratory-based diagnosis of Chikungunya fever must be taken into consideration for all cases presenting acute onset of fever >38.5 °C and severe or invalidating arthralgia unexplained by other medical conditions, in subjects living in areas with docu- mented local transmission or who recently visited endemic areas; recommended protocols include reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on serum, up to the fifth day following onset of symptoms, as well as serological IgM/IgG assays (starting six days after the onset). • Training healthcare personnel on differential diagnosis among Chikungunya, Dengue and Zika virus infection, given the similar symptoms and the risk to misdiagnose subjects. Healthcare work- ers should be sensitised about the importance of laboratory diag- nosis and epidemiological investigations. • Defining protocols describing clinical follow-up, contact tracing and surveillance of vectors. Priority 2 – vector control & environmental management • In case of further epidemiologically linked cases, considering dis- infestation of the outbreak-affected area via airborne insecticides, following existing guidelines and safety protocols for chemical agent dispersal.

    Chikungunya virus infection in Italy: epidemiology, climate change implications and public health recommendations · 2026 · DOI

  • The study’s short duration (4 years) limited the avail- ability of disease data and may have affected estimates of climate sensitivity and seasonal trends in vector-borne disease transmission. Key demographic variables, such as population density and sex ratio, were not included, which could influence disease patterns and accuracy. Limited socioeconomic data restricted the assessment of how economic disparities impact disease prevalence. Potential confounding factors such as migration pat- terns, urbanization rates, and healthcare accessibility were not directly accounted for and may have affected prediction reliability. Low case numbers for diseases such as chikungunya, filariasis, and yellow fever posed an additional challenge, affecting statistical significance and increasing variance in the results. Some observed climate–disease associations, such as negative effects of minimum temperature or relative humidity, may reflect ecological mechanisms, regional specificity, multicollin- earity, or modeling artefacts. To mitigate these effects, the study aggregated data over multiple years and stand- ardized variables to improve statistical reliability. While SHAP analysis provided valuable insights into feature importance, integrating causal inference methods or hybrid AI models could further strengthen the interpret- ability and robustness of disease predictions. Address- ing these limitations in future research by expanding the study period, incorporating additional demographic and socioeconomic variables, and refining modeling approaches will enhance the reliability of findings and support more effective disease mitigation strategies.

    Spatiotemporal patterns of climate-sensitive vector-borne diseases in Bangladesh: leveraging machine learning and spatial regression for intervention strategies · 2026 · DOI

  • The study was conducted in a single referral center with a relatively small sample size. So the results may not represent the whole community. is consistent with recent observations CONCLUSION Dengue infection presents with a wide range of clinical manifestations among hospitalized patients. In this study, fever, headache, myalgia, and arthralgia were the most common presenting symptoms. Notably, gastrointestinal manifestations were prominent, with diarrhea emerging as one of the most frequent clinical features, while cutaneous manifestations such as rash were observed less frequently.

    Spectrum of Clinical Profile of Dengue Syndrome Admitted in Dengue Referral Center · 2026 · DOI

  • This is a single-case report; management recommendations cannot be generalized. Additional limitations include the following: HLH workup (ferritin, fibrinogen, triglycerides, bone marrow examination) was not performed; dengue serotyping was unavailable; pulmonary imaging relied on portable anteroposterior CXRs rather than CT; and formal driving pressure documentation was not available for all ventilator days. Future cases should consider HLH as a differential when cytopenias and systemic inflammation persist despite treatment of the primary infections.

    Co-infection of Dengue and Malaria Complicated With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in a Critically Ill Patient: A Case Report From a Tertiary Care Center in Jharkhand, India · 2026 · DOI

  • Future studies should consider more sophisticated imputation strategies, such as multiple imputation or pattern- mixture models, to account for the distinction between truly absent symptoms and unreported symptoms. Furthermore, future studies should consider evaluating clinical utility through decision curve analysis and net reclassification improvement (NRI) metrics, which assess whether the model provides actionable improvements over existing clinical decision-making processes, beyond discrimination and calibration alone. Second, Several limitations of this study should be acknowledged to contextualize the findings appropriately. While this approach maximizes statistical power by utilizing all available predictions, it does not account for the dependence structure introduced by the shared training data across folds. it While this criterion ensures high-quality diagnostic labels, introduces selection bias: the confirmed Chikungunya cases in this dataset may not be representative of all Chikungunya infections in the Brazilian population, but only of those that were sufficiently suspected to trigger a notification, subsequently received laboratory testing, and yielded a definitive result.

    Arthralgia and fever as dominant predictors of Chikungunya confirmation: an explainable artificial intelligence approach · 2026 · DOI

  • The waning heterotypic immunity period (approximately 2 years) during co-circulation of multiple dengue serotypes in border regions needs empirical validation through serological surveys to confirm its role in creating population immunity profiles that favor mosquito-driven amplification.

    Dengue transmission dynamics in China’s border regions adjacent to Myanmar · 2026 · DOI

  • Direct quantification of vertical transmission rates in Aedes populations and their seasonal contribution to maintaining infected mosquito prevalence independent of human cases requires controlled studies or field monitoring in border regions. Current estimates rely on literature values rather than local vector population data.

    Dengue transmission dynamics in China’s border regions adjacent to Myanmar · 2026 · DOI

  • Molecular surveillance to detect serotype displacement, viral strain characteristics, and their relationship to the observed shift toward mosquito-driven transmission by 2023 is needed. This includes systematic genotyping of dengue viruses from border regions to determine if altered transmission profiles correlate with specific serotypes or strains.

    Dengue transmission dynamics in China’s border regions adjacent to Myanmar · 2026 · DOI

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85 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 616 Mosquito-borne diseases and control papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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