Table 1. Vector-borne diseases ranked in order of annual DALY burden, with primary vector, pathogen, geographical range, and categories of influence.
The top 10 vector-borne diseases as ranked by annual disability-adjusted life year (DALY) burden, with associated ecogeographical characteristics and influence.
| Disease* | Estimated Annual Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in 2019 (Wang et al. 2020) | Primary Vector (Genera) | Primary Pathogen | Geographic Range | Examples of Key Categories of Influence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Malaria | 46,437,811 | Mosquito (Anopheles) | Plasmodium protozoa | All inhabited continents | Outcomes of conflicts and mortality in warfare (Snowden 2008; Lockwood 2009; McNeill 2010); socioeconomic, racial, and gender inequities (Humphreys 2001; Sallares 2002; Heggenhougen et al. 2003); criminal justice (Campbell 2020) |
| (2) Dengue | 2,383,375 | Mosquito (Aedes) | DENV flavivirus | All inhabited continents | Mortality in warfare (Gibbons et al. 2012); tourism and economic decline (Nishikawa et al. 2016); genetic modification (Hoffmann et al. 2011) |
| (3) Schistosomiasis | 1,638,072 | Freshwater snail (Biomphalaria) | Schistosoma trematodes | Americas, Africa, Asia | Mortality and large-scale debilitation (McManus et al. 2018); disproportionate effects on marginalized groups (King 2010) |
| (4) Lymphatic filariasis | 1,628,649 | Mosquito (Anopheles, Culex, Aedes, Mansonia, Ochlerotatus) | Wuchereria and Brugia nematodes | Americas, Africa, Asia | Social stigmatization (Evans et al. 1993); mortality in warfare (Swartzwelder 1963; Leggat & Melrose 2005); reduction of economic output and increase in poverty (World Health Organization 1999; Ottesen 2000) |
| (5) Onchocerciasis | 1,230,433 | Black fly (Simulium) | Onchocerca nematode | Americas, Africa | Depopulation of riverine regions (Bradley 1976); psychosocial effects and female marriage age delay (Amazigo 1994; Wagbatsoma & Okojie 2004) |
| (6) Leishmaniasis | 696,703 | Sand fly (Phlebotomus) | Leishmania protozoa | Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia | Pre-Incan marker of religious significance (Bourget 2016); biowarfare and exacerbation of Syrian refugee crisis (Alawieh et al. 2014) |
| (7) Japanese encephalitis | 431,552 (Labeaud et al. 2011) | Mosquito (Culex) | JEV flavivirus | Asia | Changing agricultural practices through integrated vector management (van der Hoek et al. 2001; Keiser et al. 2005) |
| (8) Yellow fever | 290,137 | Mosquito (Aedes, Haemagogus, Sabethes) | YFV flavivirus | All inhabited continents | Colonialism and slavery (Berlin 2009; Bell 2010; McNeill 2010); racism and gaslighting (Jones & Allen 1794; Hogarth 2019); social hierarchy and power (Olivarius 2016) |
| (9) Chagas disease | 275,377 | Triatomine bug (Triatoma) | Trypanosoma protozoa | Americas | Settlement patterns in the Amazon (Coimbra 1988); improved safety of blood products (Dias et al. 2002); control efforts leading to greater sense of citizenship and rural community stability (Briceño-León et al. 1990) |
| (10) African trypanosomiasis | 82,615 | Tsetse fly (Glossina) | Trypanosoma protozoa | Africa | Colonization barrier and slave selection (Lambrecht 1980; Steverding 2008); migratory and pastoral practices (Lambrecht 1964; Gifford-Gonzalez 2000); obstacle to political centralization (Alsan 2015) |
*
Although plague is contemporarily not in the top-10 VBDs ranked by DALY burden, it did top the charts historically (i.e., Black Death, Plague of Justinian, etc). Plague was thus chosen as one of the four focal diseases highlighted in this paper.