Abstract
The rising incidence of mosquito-borne diseases poses a public health
challenge worldwide. However, local-scale interactions among vectors,
hosts, and the environment remain poorly understood. We leveraged
historical, multi-source data to assess mosquito-borne disease
transmission risk in Mediterranean humanized wetlands, examining
mosquito vectors, avian hosts for West Nile virus (WNV), and human hosts
for dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Mosquito activity peaked between June
and October. Aedes albopictus was predominant in urban areas, while
Culex species were more prevalent in rural and natural environments. The
spatial patterns of avian host communities influenced the potential
amplification and dilution of the WNV enzootic cycle. High-risk areas
for WNV circulation were identified near urban edges, particularly
adjacent to rice fields and wetlands where mosquitoes and reservoir
hosts overlapped. These findings emphasize the importance of targeted
mosquito surveillance and mitigation strategies in urban centers and
surrounding rural landscapes to effectively reduce the risk of
mosquito-borne diseases.