The Bayreuth exhibit is entitled ‘Mosquitoes are becoming a threat – yet they fulfil valuable ecological roles’. It demonstrates how closely the environment, animals and humans are interconnected – and how these interdependencies affect our health. The exhibition explores key ideas from One Health and Planetary Health: both concepts emphasise that human health is inextricably linked to intact ecosystems, stable climatic conditions and sustainable economic practices.
Due to climate change, travel and global trade, invasive species such as the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) are increasingly spreading across Europe. It can transmit pathogens such as the Chikungunya, Dengue or Zika viruses. At the same time, native species such as the common house mosquito (Culex pipiens) can transmit novel pathogens such as the West Nile virus.
Global changes, local impacts
“Mosquitoes provide an ideal way to illustrate the links between biodiversity, climate and health,” says Dr Stephanie Thomas, a researcher at the Chair of Biogeography, coordinator of the elite Master’s programme in Global Change Ecology, and a lecturer on the international Master’s programme in Environment, Climate Change and Health, which is supervised by Professor Wilm Quentin. “They highlight how global changes have local impacts – and why we must always consider health in the context of the interplay between humans, animals and the environment.”
The Bayreuth exhibition combines wall graphics, fact sheets, 3D models and short video clips. Visitors will learn, among other things:
- how invasive mosquito species spread,
- which diseases different species can transmit,
- how climate change is shifting the ranges of mosquitoes and diseases,
- how researchers model these distribution patterns and assess risks,
- why mosquitoes fulfil important ecological functions despite the risks they pose.
