5: Implications for understanding pathogen transmission and
control in a changing world
Understanding the respective effects of variation in temperature and
humidity, as well as any interaction between variables, will be critical
for addressing how the regional and global distributions of mosquito
vectors, and the seasonality and intensity of vector-borne pathogen
transmission, will shift in response to future climate and land use
change. Based on the importance of maintaining optimal temperature and
water balance in other organisms, we also argue that variation in
temperature, humidity, and water availability are important selective
determinants driving local adaptation of mosquitoes to various
environments as well as their capacity to respond to future
environmental change. Finally, variation in temperature and humidity
will also likely affect the efficacy, coverage, and cost of disease
control programs.