Surveillance of Vectors

Vectors are organisms that transmit diseases; the term generally refers to organisms that transmit human diseases. Broad-based vectors include vertebrates and invertebrates. Vertebrate vectors are mainly rodents of the mammalian rodent group. Invertebrate vectors are mainly insects, such as mosquitoes, cockroaches, and crickets; arachnids, such as ticks and mites; and mollusk snails. Vector organisms can not only affect or harm the normal life of human beings directly through bites and contaminated food but also spread a series of important infectious diseases through various channels. This chapter introduces surveillance techniques for the distribution, growth, migration, and propagation energy of vectors.