Disease vector

A disease vector is an organism that transmits an infectious pathogen between hosts, often without developing the disease itself. Vectors can carry pathogens mechanically or support their development within the vector.

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Biological transmission: Pathogen transmission in which an infectious agent develops or multiplies inside a vector before reaching another host. This is the defining route when a vector supports a pathogen’s development or multiplication.
Vector control: Measures that reduce or manage organisms transmitting pathogens. It targets vector populations or their contact with hosts to limit transmission.
Anopheles: A genus of mosquitoes that includes the principal vectors of human malaria parasites. Anopheles mosquitoes transmit Plasmodium parasites during blood feeding.
Vector-borne disease: An infectious disease transmitted to a host by an organism that carries its pathogen. It is the broader disease category defined by transmission through vectors.
Mechanical transmission: Pathogen transfer by an organism that carries infectious material without the pathogen developing or multiplying inside it. Some vectors transfer pathogens on body surfaces or mouthparts without supporting their life cycle.
Integrated vector management: A coordinated approach combining multiple methods to control disease vectors sustainably. It organizes control around local ecology, monitoring, and combinations of interventions.
Aedes aegypti: A mosquito species that transmits dengue, yellow fever, Zika, and chikungunya viruses. Its urban adaptation makes it a major vector of several human viruses.
Reservoir host: A host population or environment in which a pathogen is maintained and from which infection can spread. Reservoirs sustain pathogens that vectors can acquire and transmit.
Vector competence: The ability of a vector to acquire, support, and transmit a particular pathogen. It explains why only certain vector species can spread a given pathogen.
Insecticide-treated bed net: A bed net treated with insecticide to reduce human contact with biting insects, especially mosquitoes. It blocks bites while exposing mosquitoes to insecticide during disease-vector control.