Exploring Public Preferences, Priorities, and Policy Perspectives for Controlling Invasive Mosquito Species in Greece
Climate change, urbanization, and financial crisis have created a dramatic mixture of challenges in Southern Europe, increasing further the risks of transmission of new vector-borne diseases. In the last decade, there has been a wide spread of an invasive mosquito species <i>Aedes albopictus,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-05-01
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| Series: | Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/4/2/83 |
| _version_ | 1818035215631646720 |
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| author | Antonios Kolimenakis Dionysios Latinopoulos Kostas Bithas Clive Richardson Konstantinos Lagouvardos Angeliki Stefopoulou Dimitrios Papachristos Antonios Michaelakis |
| author_facet | Antonios Kolimenakis Dionysios Latinopoulos Kostas Bithas Clive Richardson Konstantinos Lagouvardos Angeliki Stefopoulou Dimitrios Papachristos Antonios Michaelakis |
| author_sort | Antonios Kolimenakis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Climate change, urbanization, and financial crisis have created a dramatic mixture of challenges in Southern Europe, increasing further the risks of transmission of new vector-borne diseases. In the last decade, there has been a wide spread of an invasive mosquito species <i>Aedes albopictus, </i>commonly known as the Asian tiger mosquito, in various urban ecosystems of Greece accompanied by greater risks of infectious diseases, higher nuisance levels, and increased expenses incurred for their control. The aim of the present paper is to investigate citizens' perception of the <i>Aedes albopictus</i> problem and to evaluate various policy aspects related to its control. Findings are based on the conduct of a web-based survey at a national scale and the production of national surveillance maps. Results indicate that citizens are highly concerned with the health risks associated with the new mosquito species and consider public prevention strategies highly important for the confrontation of the problem while, at the same time, surveillance maps indicate a constant intensification of the problem. The spatial patterns of these results are further investigated aiming to define areas (regions) with different: (a) Levels of risk and/or (b) policy priorities. It appears that citizens are aware of the invasive mosquito problem and appear prone to act against possible consequences. Climate change and the complex socio-ecological context of South Europe are expected to favor a deterioration of the problem and an increasing risk of the transmission of new diseases, posing, in this respect, new challenges for policy makers and citizens. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T06:51:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6a1cfccd90394adf98b594c3e086bd85 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2414-6366 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T06:51:31Z |
| publishDate | 2019-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease |
| spelling | doaj.art-6a1cfccd90394adf98b594c3e086bd852022-12-22T01:58:33ZengMDPI AGTropical Medicine and Infectious Disease2414-63662019-05-01428310.3390/tropicalmed4020083tropicalmed4020083Exploring Public Preferences, Priorities, and Policy Perspectives for Controlling Invasive Mosquito Species in GreeceAntonios Kolimenakis0Dionysios Latinopoulos1Kostas Bithas2Clive Richardson3Konstantinos Lagouvardos4Angeliki Stefopoulou5Dimitrios Papachristos6Antonios Michaelakis7Research University Institute of Urban Environment and Human Resources, Panteion University, Athens 17671, GreeceSchool of Spatial Planning and Development, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR 54124, GreeceResearch University Institute of Urban Environment and Human Resources, Panteion University, Athens 17671, GreeceResearch University Institute of Urban Environment and Human Resources, Panteion University, Athens 17671, GreeceNational Observatory of Athens/Institute for Environmental Research, Athens 15236, GreeceDepartment of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Kifissia-Athens 14561, GreeceDepartment of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Kifissia-Athens 14561, GreeceDepartment of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Kifissia-Athens 14561, GreeceClimate change, urbanization, and financial crisis have created a dramatic mixture of challenges in Southern Europe, increasing further the risks of transmission of new vector-borne diseases. In the last decade, there has been a wide spread of an invasive mosquito species <i>Aedes albopictus, </i>commonly known as the Asian tiger mosquito, in various urban ecosystems of Greece accompanied by greater risks of infectious diseases, higher nuisance levels, and increased expenses incurred for their control. The aim of the present paper is to investigate citizens' perception of the <i>Aedes albopictus</i> problem and to evaluate various policy aspects related to its control. Findings are based on the conduct of a web-based survey at a national scale and the production of national surveillance maps. Results indicate that citizens are highly concerned with the health risks associated with the new mosquito species and consider public prevention strategies highly important for the confrontation of the problem while, at the same time, surveillance maps indicate a constant intensification of the problem. The spatial patterns of these results are further investigated aiming to define areas (regions) with different: (a) Levels of risk and/or (b) policy priorities. It appears that citizens are aware of the invasive mosquito problem and appear prone to act against possible consequences. Climate change and the complex socio-ecological context of South Europe are expected to favor a deterioration of the problem and an increasing risk of the transmission of new diseases, posing, in this respect, new challenges for policy makers and citizens.https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/4/2/83urban ecosystemsclimate changeAsian tiger mosquitoweb surveyinfectious diseasescitizens’ perception |
| spellingShingle | Antonios Kolimenakis Dionysios Latinopoulos Kostas Bithas Clive Richardson Konstantinos Lagouvardos Angeliki Stefopoulou Dimitrios Papachristos Antonios Michaelakis Exploring Public Preferences, Priorities, and Policy Perspectives for Controlling Invasive Mosquito Species in Greece Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease urban ecosystems climate change Asian tiger mosquito web survey infectious diseases citizens’ perception |
| title | Exploring Public Preferences, Priorities, and Policy Perspectives for Controlling Invasive Mosquito Species in Greece |
| title_full | Exploring Public Preferences, Priorities, and Policy Perspectives for Controlling Invasive Mosquito Species in Greece |
| title_fullStr | Exploring Public Preferences, Priorities, and Policy Perspectives for Controlling Invasive Mosquito Species in Greece |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring Public Preferences, Priorities, and Policy Perspectives for Controlling Invasive Mosquito Species in Greece |
| title_short | Exploring Public Preferences, Priorities, and Policy Perspectives for Controlling Invasive Mosquito Species in Greece |
| title_sort | exploring public preferences priorities and policy perspectives for controlling invasive mosquito species in greece |
| topic | urban ecosystems climate change Asian tiger mosquito web survey infectious diseases citizens’ perception |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/4/2/83 |
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