Erasmus+ mobility: A 2-week professional training programme on field approaches of vector control strategies and West Nile virus screening

The two-week programme combined field training with modern methods of entomological data management and participation in laboratory procedures. During the training, the trainees were able to follow all different aspects related to mosquito control. They actively participated in the daily work of Ecodevelopment's scientists and technicians, both in the laboratory and in the field, under real-world conditions for the implementation of a wide-area mosquito control programme, specifically in the Region of Central Macedonia.

The field training activities took place in four distinct ecosystems: wetlands, the peri-urban system, the built (urban) environment, and rice fields. They included the identification of breeding sites, the sampling of mosquito larvae and adults, and familiarisation with larviciding methods.

Particular emphasis was placed on using the eBite digital platform developed by Ecodevelopment to record field data, collecting and processing samples from CO2 traps and IoT devices, and classifying mosquitoes at the species level. At the same time, the basic laboratory and diagnostic procedures for monitoring West Nile virus were presented (molecular detection via PCR and serological testing of blood samples collected from young domestic chickens using ELISA).