Vector sampling protocols outlining the recommended methods for collecting vectors have been issued today by ECDC and EFSA, to support entomologists and public-health professionals in Europe. It is a first attempt to summarise best-practices in terms of methods and strategies for sampling mosquitoes, sandflies, biting midges and ticks.
This document highlights preparedness measures that should be in place to minimise the risk of Zika virus spreading in continental Europe, primarily to protect pregnant women and women who wish to become pregnant, considering the evidence of the association between Zika virus and congenital malformations of the brain of the developing foetus.