1. Understanding and predicting the geographic distributions of phlebotomine sand flies in and around EuropeDanyang Wang, Anouschka R. Hof, Kevin D. Matson, Frank van Langevelde, Edwin Kniha, Vít Dvořák, Ognyan Mikov, Ivelina Katerinova, Simona Tchakarova, Maria Antoniou, Jorian Prodhomme, Denis Sereno, Vladimir Ivović, Katja Adam, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Climate and land-use changes influence the transmission of vector-borne diseases by affecting the distribution and survival of disease vectors. Numerous diseases are transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), including leishmaniasis. Several major sand fly-borne diseases are responsible for high global disease burdens and high socio-economic costs. In Europe, over 20 known sand fly vector species are largely confined to the Mediterranean Basin, yet records of sand fly presence further north increase. Global warming is predicted to drive the spread of sand flies to large areas of Europe in the 21th century, an effect likely to be exacerbated by anthropogenic factors. However, the constraints to the geographic distributions of sand flies are not well understood. This study aims to increase the understanding of the drivers of the geographic distributions of sand flies, using species distribution modelling to systematically test links between sand fly occurrences and climatic, land-use, lithological, biodiversity and human population variables in Europe and adjacent Mediterranean regions. We found that moisture is the most important environmental variable both in explaining and in predicting sand fly occurrences. The projected suitable habitats are larger than the current known sand fly distributions, and these habitats are expected to expand due to changes in climate and land-use.
Keywords: climate change, land-use, moisture, phlebotomine sand fly, species distribution modelling, suitable habitat
Published in RUP: 06.11.2025; Views: 341; Downloads: 8
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2. Recent advances in Phlebotomine sand fly research : a review based on studies presented at ISOPS XIVladimir Ivović, Gioia Bongiorno, Petr Volf, Yara Traub Cseko, Jeffrey Jon Shaw, Dia Elnaiem, Shaden Kamhawi, Eva Iniguez, Carla Maia, Suzana Blesić, 2025, review article Abstract: The 11th International Symposium on Phlebotomine Sand flies (ISOPS XI) took place in Portorož, Slovenia, in September 2024 and brought together experts from around the world to discuss recent advances in the biology, ecology and control of phlebotomine sand flies and the pathogens they transmit. This report summarises the key findings of the symposium and is organised thematically by session. Key topics included the development of refined experimental models of Leishmania transmission, new insights into the interactions between vector, parasite and microbiota, and the detection of Leishmania donovani in new geographic regions. Advances in molecular diagnostics and surveillance technologies were emphasised, as were emerging concerns about insecticide resistance. The potential of paratransgenesis and symbiont-based vector control approaches was also emphasised. In a separate session, the CLIMOS project was presented, which integrates climate monitoring, ecological modelling and public health tools to develop an early warning system (EWS) for sand fly-borne diseases. Overall, the contributions to the symposium reflect the dynamic development of sand fly research in response to global environmental change and emphasise the importance of international collaboration in combating emerging vector-borne diseases.
Keywords: Phlebotomine sand flies, vector competence, surveillance, climate change, taxonomy, ISOPS
Published in RUP: 30.10.2025; Views: 281; Downloads: 4
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3. Factors influencing the acceptance of alternative protein sourcesMojca Stubelj, Erika Gleščič, Boštjan Žvanut, Klemen Širok, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Introduction The adequate consumption of protein-rich foods is essential for optimal human growth, development and health. However, climate change threatens global food security by disrupting agriculture and food supply chains. One possible strategy to avoid this is a sustainable diet and the consumption of plant-based protein substitutes, insect-derived proteins and cultured meat. Methods The factors that could explain the (non-)acceptance of such foods in the population were investigated. The study included 458 adults who responded to our online questionnaire. Results The results of our survey showed that 66.2 % of the respondents were open to including plant-based sources in their diet. 23.1 % were willing to eat meals derived from insects and 21 % were willing to eat cultured meat. Acceptance of these alternative protein sources was found to be influenced by a number of factors, including demographics, familiarity, frequency of meat consumption and the intention to reduce meat consumption in the future. Men and people who had tried insect-based foods in the past were more favourable towards the consumption of insect-based foods and cultured meat. The regression analysis showed that the higher the level of neophobia towards food technologies and aversion to eating insects, the lower the interest in trying cultured meat. Women have a lower interest in trying cultured meat. Conclusions The consumer acceptance of new protein sources in the diet can be measured by assessing their attitudes towards such sources. This understanding can in turn facilitate the formulation of future public health strategies to create more sustainable dietary standards in the face of climate change.
Keywords: plant proteins, cultured meat, entomophagy, ecological awareness, climate change
Published in RUP: 30.05.2025; Views: 982; Downloads: 8
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