Abstract
To meet future urban challenges, many cities have embarked on a process of " renaturation ", through revegetation programs and actions to increase biodiversity. These actions have many positive impacts on the health and well-being of residents. On the other hand, the possible negative impacts are still rarely taken into account. These include an increase in the biodiversity of arthropod vectors of infectious agents, vertebrate reservoir hosts, and the infectious agents themselves, linked to the creation of new ecological niches.
We'll take a few examples concerning bedbugs, Aedes mosquitoes vectors of dengue fever, chikungunya and Zika, Culex mosquitoes vectors of West Nile and Usutu viruses, and Anopheles mosquitoes responsible for urban malaria. We'll see how the creation of parks, green corridors and urban forests can allow the introduction and settlement of sandflies and ticks involved in human and animal diseases. The beneficial effects of urban renaturation on human health are undeniable. However, to avoid compromising the virtuous process underway, we need to identify, monitor and manage any negative impacts of vector-borne diseases.
