- Authors: Parreira R, Sousa CA
- Publication Year: 2015
- Journal: Anais do Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical
- Link: http://ihmtweb.ihmt.unl.pt/PublicacoesFB/Anais/Anais2014/index.html#3/z%20
The study of vector-borne diseases has always been an area of interest of the Instituto do Higiene do Medicina Tropical (IHMT). After the eradication of malaria in Portugal, the activity of IHMT in this field of knowledge focused mainly on the study of these diseases in tropical and subtropical regions. However with the (re)emergence of some of these illnesses at global level, including arboviroses such as those caused by dengue and Chikungunya viruses, the work carried out at IHMT started to reflect a growing concern about the vulnerability of the national territories to these diseases. This concern has intensified with the notification of a dengue outbreak in Madeira, which led IHMT to expand its activity beyond the scientific research into the areas of monitoring, surveillance and vector control of these diseases.