Chapter 6 - Ecoepidemiology of Alphaviruses and Flaviviruses

Within the ecosystems, the balance is important since the populations maintain their size and the food habits that are constant over time; in contrast, the disappearance of natural sources or the alteration of habitat at different levels can cause major changes in the very structure of the ecosystem. Alterations in the habitats produced by human activity result in global warming, climatic changes, which together with globalization, increased trade, the shortening of distances thanks to transport, the increase in population and the socioeconomic activities of human cause imbalances. In many cases the vectors and hosts have adapted to the changes and have risen to higher latitudes and altitudes, which could contribute to the appearance of outbreaks or new outbreaks of new arboviruses of public health importance. Different cohabiting species can be reservoirs or vectors of arboviruses such as alphaviruses and flaviviruses. Currently, some viruses transmitted by mosquito vectors, such as