Living Lab 4: Monitoring and Preventing Climate-Linked Zoonotic Diseases

Living lab 4: zoonotic diseas

Rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and other environmental changes are contributing to the spread of climate-sensitive zoonotic diseases in Europe. These diseases, transmitted between animals and humans through vectors such as sandflies and mosquitoes, are an emerging public health concern. ISMED-CLIM’s Living Lab 4: Zoonotic Diseases focuses on improving early detection, monitoring, and prevention of such infections, using leishmaniasis as a model.

Where is it happening?

This Living Lab is active in two countries with different but significant exposure to zoonotic disease risk:

  • Romania, where leishmaniasis has re-emerged and the presence of sandfly vectors is growing.

  • Cyprus, where both infected dogs and sandflies are already established and increasing in prevalence.

These contrasting settings allow the project to test different surveillance strategies in both early and established disease scenarios.

What is the goal?

The main goal is to strengthen community-level disease surveillance using a One Health approach. This includes linking environmental, animal, and human health data to build an integrated view of zoonotic disease risk under changing climate conditions.

What will be tested?

Living Lab 4 activities include:

  • Serological testing in dogs to identify asymptomatic carriers and map infection spread.

  • Monitoring of sandfly populations, including their seasonal activity and expansion into new areas.

  • Climate and environmental modelling to support the creation of risk maps for future transmission zones.

  • Community engagement with veterinarians, local authorities, and NGOs to support awareness and early detection.

Data collected through this Living Lab will inform future interventions and help establish scalable surveillance models tailored to regional conditions.

Why it matters

Zoonotic diseases are projected to increase in range and impact due to climate change. By testing practical, coordinated surveillance tools in real-world conditions, LL4 contributes to ISMED-CLIM’s broader goal of improving public health preparedness and supporting early warning systems across the Mediterranean.