In the field of mosquito control we have been steadily active since 1996, emphasizing the most modern, targeted and environmentally friendly methodologies

Already with our first large-scale mosquito control project after the end of the anti-malarial campaign, we introduced as know-how and applied the methodology of larviciding. Today we are able to make extensive use of new technologies in connection with the collection and analysis of field and earth observation data. With the big data we collect, we optimize the time of decision making and implementation of spatially and temporally targeted actions and we monitor in near real time the quality of the projects we implement in 10 of the 13 Regions of the country (40% of the Greek territory).

THE CHALLENGES OF MOSQUITO CONTROL

The usual actions of public and private mosquito control operators, at least outside Europe, mainly involve pre-planned spraying, basically adulticiding and less so larviciding, without necessarily prior larvae sampling. The management and further study of the collected field data internationally is often of low quality. However, the most important challenge in large-scale mosquito control projects today internationally is to find the best way, in function of targeting and allocated resources, in which the 4 basic needs for the best implementation of the projects can be met:

  1. The need to establish extensive networks for monitoring a multitude of parameters in the field
  2. The need to develop easy-to-use electronic applications for the rapid collection and storage of the above data
  3. The need to operate an efficient Decision Support System (DSS) that analyses, synthesises and combines field data with open data
  4. The need for better information, awareness and education of the general public and professional sectors (health professionals, tourism operators, pest control professionals, etc.)

Meeting these four needs is of paramount importance as it also contributes to the protection of public health from mosquito-borne diseases. Greece has unfortunately been at the epicenter of two events of great epidemiological importance in the last decade:

  1. The re-emergence of sporadic autochthonous cases of malaria (the most important infectious disease in the world) in more than ten different regions of the country (the extent of this phenomenon is unprecedented in Europe since the 1950s)
  2. The emergence for the first time since 2010 of a major epidemic, that of West Nile Virus (the most important mosquito-borne endemic disease in Europe today), with epicenter in Central Macedonia. The total number of WNF cases in Greece since 2010 has exceeded 1,350 with over 800 severe encephalitis cases and 150 deaths 

BASIC PRINCIPLES & THE ECODEVELOPMENT APPROACH

The only way to deal with these diseases, especially in the case of West Nile Virus, is mosquito control which must be implemented according to the principles of Integrated Mosquito Management. According to EMCA (European Mosquito Control Association) an Integrated Mosquito Management Programme: 

  • Should include a wide range of mosquito control strategies, including physical, biological, environmental, educational and chemical methods
  • The selection and timing of a method or combination of methods should be based on epidemiological, entomological and environmental monitoring data
  • The cost-effectiveness of interventions to achieve the expected results, in particular in terms of environmental protection, should always be a priority criterion for decision-making on mosquito control

With our integrated mosquito control projects we meet the basic principles of Integrated Pest Management and successfully respond to the challenges of today. Today we are able to make extensive use of new technologies concerning field and earth observation data collection and analysis. With the large volume of data we collect, we optimize the time for decision making and implementation of spatially and temporally targeted actions and we control the quality of the projects we implement in near real time. Always emphasizing the use of environmentally friendly and target-specific methodologies, we organize, manage and implement all our projects to meet the most stringent standards which concern:

  • Meeting the customer’s requirements and our contractual obligations
  • The physical object of mosquito control in the field
  • The administrative, technical and scientific support of the projects in the field and in the office
  • Transparency, supervision, communication and cooperation with the Contracting Authorities
  • Publicising the progress of the project to citizens and local authorities, as well as fostering awareness and participation among citizens
  • Data collection and utilisation for the production of forecasts of entomological and/or epidemiological interest
  • The transfer of expertise and epidemiological risk assessment services gradually to all our projects
A brief presentation of the mosqutio control projects