Epidemiological surveillance in humans
The role of Sciensano’s Epidemiology of infectious diseases service is:
- to describe the epidemiology of dengue in Belgium (in terms of age, sex, geographical location and probable country of infection)
- to follow-up trends over time
- and to identify possible risk factors.
The data are collected by the National Reference Centre (NRC) for arboviruses, the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp.
The results are presented in an annual report, see in the ‘Other Publications’ section below.
Monitoring tick bites in humans
The aim of the MEMO+ project is to monitor the introduction of exotic Aedes mosquitoes, such as the tiger mosquito, to Belgium. The Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp (ITG) actively tracks Aedes mosquitoes and their eggs at potential entry points, such as motorway parking sites and tyre companies. Sciensano coordinates the passive surveillance, through a citizen science project, where citizens are invited to report the presence of tiger mosquitoes by uploading photos via a website.