Artificial light and climate change
New One Health Platform project investigates rising risks posed by mosquitoes
Rising temperatures, urbanisation and artificial light at night are altering the living conditions of mosquitoes in Europe – with potential consequences for the spread of pathogens such as the West Nile virus. A newly approved network project by the One Health Platform (OHP) is, for the first time, systematically investigating how these factors interact. The project ‘LUMEN – Adapting to the Light: Mosquito Behaviour, Human Exposure and Vector Control in a Changing Climate’ is coordinated by the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) and funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).
In the evening on the balcony, lights on, windows open: in many cities, mosquitoes are no longer confined to the height of summer. Laboratory and initial field studies suggest that artificial light can disrupt the natural day-night rhythm of mosquitoes – with measurable effects. Among other things, it has been observed that mosquitoes remain active for longer, extend their biting periods and enter hibernation later.
The extent to which such effects manifest under real-world conditions and how they interact with other environmental factors has so far hardly been systematically investigated. The LUMEN project is now investigating this using native species such as Culex pipiens, the main vector of the West Nile virus in Germany.
The three-year project brings together research from the fields of mosquito and virus biology, environmental and climate research, and behavioural science. In addition to the BNITM, participants include the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (Berlin), the University of Erfurt, the University of Heidelberg and the University of Bamberg. The total funding amounts to around 1.2 million euros, part of which goes to the BNITM, which is also responsible for coordinating the network.
“Artificial light at night is an environmental factor that has so far been scarcely taken into account systematically in infection research,” says Prof. Dr Esther Schnettler, head of the Mosquito Virus Interactions research group at the BNITM and coordinator of the network. “We assume that light pollution, together with rising temperatures, alters the behaviour of mosquitoes – for example, their activity, biting behaviour or overwintering patterns. This may have implications for the risk of virus transmission.”
Four sub-projects, one integrated approach
The network is divided into four closely interlinked sub-projects:
- At the BNITM, researchers are investigating how artificial light and temperature influence the biology of Culex pipiens, the most important vector of the West Nile virus in Germany – from gene regulation to transmission potential.
- Researchers at the Leibniz-Institut für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei in Berlin are analysinghow light, temperature, water quality and microorganisms in urbanised habitats influence the development and fitness of mosquitoes.
- The Health Communication research group (BNITM / University of Erfurt) is investigating how people perceive risks posed by mosquitoes and how they adjust their protective and exposure behaviours in everyday life.
- At the University of Heidelberg, the data collected is integrated into mathematical models to create spatially and temporally resolved risk maps as well as scenarios for future developments.
- The University of Bamberg is contributing its expertise in digital health research and providing the technical infrastructure for an app designed to record protective behaviour and mosquito exposure in everyday life.
The aim is to bring together biological, ecological and social data in order to assess transmission risks more realistically.
Relevance for prevention and public health
The One Health Platform is supporting the project as an inter- and transdisciplinary network. A scientific advisory board gave a positive assessment of the project’s expertise, innovation potential and feasibility, and recommended funding.
The research findings are intended to lay the foundations for improved infection prevention, for example through surveillance systems, evidence-based communication strategies or the use of lighting in urban areas. Plans include, amongst other things, open data sets, digital tools and contributions from citizen science initiatives.
“Infection risks arise from the interaction between the environment, animals and humans,” says Schnettler. “LUMEN lays the groundwork for a better understanding of these interrelationships and for targeting prevention more effectively.”
Contact person
Prof. Dr Esther Schnettler
Research Group Leader
Phone : +49 40 285380-208
Email : schnettler@bnitm.de
Julia Rauner
Public Relations
Phone : +49 40 285380-264
Email : presse@bnitm.de
