Cure® Mosquito-Borne Diseases Report Reveals Critical Disconnect Between Experts vs. Physicians and the Public

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Oct 09, 2024, 07:40 ET

First-of-its-kind survey shows primary care physicians and public have low awareness, low concerns despite global surge in life-threatening mosquito-borne diseases lacking effective therapies or vaccines

NEW YORK, Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cure^®, a healthcare innovation campus in New York City, today released a new benchmark report, Uniformed, Unconcerned: Ignoring the Global Surge of Mosquito-Borne Diseases at Our Peril. The report spotlights for the first time critical differences in concern about this growing public health threat between infectious disease experts and those on the front line, both primary care physicians and the public. The report also underscores the urgent need for increased education and public health interventions as climate change accelerates the spread of these life-threatening infections, many of which lack targeted therapies or vaccines.

"Recent climate events, like Hurricane Helene, are creating the perfect environment for mosquitos to breed and spread a variety of pathogens. The summer surges of the West Nile and Eastern Equine Encephalitis viruses could easily be harbingers for the US arrivals of dengue fever or worse, which is why the critical disconnects Cure found between experts and both primary-care physicians and the public require action," said Cure CEO Seema Kumar. "Investing in and developing integrated strategies that combine education, prevention and treatment can reduce the burden of mosquito-borne diseases and protect vulnerable communities from this growing impact of climate change."

Cure's report, from a first-of-its-kind survey, reveals a stark contrast in perceptions of mosquito-borne diseases, highlighting striking knowledge gaps, misaligned concerns and a lack of confidence in public health responses. Cure's report also emphasizes the necessity for accelerated investment in therapeutics and vaccine research, mosquito mitigation efforts and coordinated public health response.

Cure also spoke with both Anthony Fauci, MD, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and who recently recovered from West Nile Virus, and Peter Hotez, MD, PhD, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, about the survey results.

Key Findings
Limited Sense of Urgency, Feeling Uniformed About Mosquito-Borne Diseases
The report highlights a significant disconnect in the level of concern between physicians and the public regarding mosquito-borne illnesses. Only one in three physicians (34 percent) and about a quarter of the public (28 percent) surveyed expressed being very to extremely concerned about the growing threat of mosquito-borne diseases. Their limited sense of urgency could delay necessary preventive measures and reduce the urgency of response efforts at both local and national levels.

Hotez told Cure when reviewing the survey results: "We could have dengue moving up here at any time. Nobody understands how destabilizing an epidemic of dengue or yellow fever will be. Yellow fever has a mortality of 30 percent. It would make COVID-19 look like a sideshow." Hotez's stark warning reflects the urgency of addressing this growing public health crisis, particularly in vulnerable areas like the US Gulf Coast.

Fauci told Cure: "With climate change, the problem of mosquito-borne diseases will only get much worse. We need to increase public awareness of how the incidence of diseases such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus will only increase."

Knowledge Gaps Pose Risks to Effective Response
The report found that only 30 percent of physicians and 16 percent of the public reported feeling well-informed about the risks posed by mosquito-borne diseases. This high level of unawareness could hinder early detection and preparedness efforts, leaving communities vulnerable to the spread of these diseases.

Skepticism of Local Public Health Responses
Both physicians and the public expressed low confidence in local public health agencies' ability to handle outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases. Only 24 percent of physicians and 17 percent of the public reported high or complete confidence in the ability of their local health agencies to manage an outbreak. This lack of trust underscores the need for stronger public health infrastructure and greater visibility of preventive measures to restore public faith.

Diverging Support for Vaccine Development
Cure found marked differences in the level of support for government funding for vaccine development. While 70 percent of physicians strongly back the idea of government-funded vaccine research, only 45 percent of the public shares this view. This discrepancy points to a need for public health campaigns addressing vaccine hesitancy and misinformation, ensuring the public understands the critical role vaccines play in combating mosquito-borne diseases.

Fauci stressed to Cure the importance of boosting investments in vaccines and antivirals as the only viable solution to curb the spread of these diseases."We need to focus on better mosquito control and investments in vaccines and antivirals to address this growing threat," said Fauci, now Distinguished University Professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and McCourt School of Public Policy.

Recommendations
Public health officials, life science and biotech innovators, the healthcare sector and the financial community must collaborate, the Cure report states, to bridge knowledge gaps, improve preparedness and mobilize resources to meet these challenges head-on. Cure's report also emphasizes the importance of education, enhanced surveillance, and aggressive vector control strategies to prevent the spread of these illnesses.

"Mosquito-borne diseases bring significant opportunities for innovation in diagnostics, vaccines, and treatments. Increasing investment in research and the rapid implementation of new technologies, such as point-of-care diagnostics and genomic surveillance, could help us address current surges and stay ahead of emerging threats," Kumar noted.

About Cure.
Cure is a healthcare innovation campus in the heart of New York City that features laboratory and business facilities, a collaboration residency, office space and premium event venues, including an education center, conference center, and iconic rooftop facility, as well as tools, mentoring, networking, and other assistance to members of its ecosystem. Cure houses on-campus startups and established companies. Residents regularly create synergies and collaborative partnerships with peer organizations across the spectrum of healthcare, from academic or private to non-profit or government, and focus on diagnostic, device, drug or vaccine discovery, development and production as well as care delivery and public health. Cure also offers industry-leading event programming focused on critical health topics. Cure's mission is to foster and accelerate advances in health. For more information, please visit wewillcure.com.

SOURCE Cure