Early Warning System for Vector-Borne Diseases: Combining Emerging Insect DNA (iDNA) Technology With Socioeconomic and Environmental Data to Protect Vulnerable Populations in Tolima, Colombia

Background: Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are responsible for over 700,000 deaths annually and account for 17% of the global infectious disease burden. Their transmission is exacerbated by climate change, biodiversity loss, and land-use transformation, particularly in tropical regions where public health infrastructure is limited. Conventional surveillance systems, which rely primarily on reported human cases, often fail to detect outbreaks in time to prevent transmission. There is a critical need for integrated One Health approaches that enable earlier detection by linking ecological, biological, and social determinants of VBD emergence, and thereby address the biodiversity–health nexus at the core of disease spillover. This project is funded through public Swiss research funding (Swiss Network for International Studies, SNIS).

Methods: The project aims to develop a multimodal early warning system for VBDs by integrating invertebrate-derived DNA (iDNA) data with environmental and socioeconomic indicators. It targets five high-burden diseases: malaria, yellow fever, dengue, Zika, and leishmaniasis. Tolima, Colombia, is selected as a pilot site due to its ecological variability and high VBD prevalence. Mosquito vectors will be sampled across land-use gradients, and blood meals analyzed to detect pathogen, animal, and human DNA. By the time of the World Biodiversity Forum (14–19 June 2026), fieldwork in Tolima will have been completed, providing preliminary iDNA-based estimates of pathogen prevalence for these diseases across different land-use types. These data are intended to be integrated with climate, land cover, biodiversity, and vulnerability indicators in Bayesian spatial models to identify areas at risk for spillover and outbreaks.

Expected Results: This system aims to serve as a blueprint for iDNA-based multimodal VBD surveillance under the One Health approach. Collaboration with the WHO aims to ensure global methodological alignment and support adaptation across diverse regional contexts. The system is intended to be embedded within Colombia’s national surveillance platform, and the open-access tool, policy briefs, and training material invite relevant stakeholders to explore pathways for implementation with other pathogens and other regions.