Under the watchful eye of ESAs Vecmap initiative, the Asian bush
mosquito is about to get bitten in Belgium. First observed in
Belgium in 2002, the Asian bush mosquito can spread viruses such
as Chikungunya, Dengue, and West Nile. Vecmap tests the accurate
mapping of mosquitoes in Europe and in particular, mosquitoes
carrying diseases. Diseases carried by mosquitoes or ticks are
an increasing public health concern in Europe. However,
predicting where mosquitoes will flourish and spread infections
is difficult. The conditions, location and timing of mosquito
hatching vary widely between species. Vecmap provides a one-
shop-stop that simplifies the entire mosquito mapping process by
defining key habitats based on field data and delivers risk maps
for a wide range of users. It consists of both software and
supporting services, combining inputs from measurements taken
during field work as well as data from Earth observation
satellites. Data such as vegetation type, land temperature and
soil moisture are used. Fiel