The initiative, funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of a larger £20 million interdisciplinary fund for epidemic threats, is led by the University of Glasgow. It unites researchers and partners including SRUC, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), and industry partner APS Biocontrol.
This project builds upon the previous Mosquito Scotland initiative, which conducted the first comprehensive study of mosquito populations and associated disease risks across Scotland. Dr Kate Lamont from SRUC expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with at-risk individuals and groups, including farmers increasingly concerned about livestock diseases like Bluetongue, and exploring practical risk-reduction steps at local and farm levels.
Professor Heather Ferguson, Professor of Medical Entomology and Infectious Disease Ecology at the University of Glasgow, stated: “We’re delighted to continue our work to assess risks of vector‑borne diseases in the UK, and grateful to our partners, collaborators, and the public for supporting the Mosquito Scotland project. This has laid the foundation for the next phase through PAMEC.”
While historically associated with tropical regions, climate and environmental shifts are expanding insect-borne diseases into Northern Europe. Research in this area has been historically neglected in the UK, particularly in Scotland, despite the presence of native mosquito species capable of transmitting emerging diseases and some of the world's highest densities of biting midges.
In 2025, Mosquito Scotland researchers aided the Scottish Government's response to the first detection of Usutu virus in Scotland. This zoonotic disease has been linked to Blackbird declines and is seen as a potential precursor to West Nile Virus, another mosquito-borne disease transmissible to humans.
Beyond mosquitoes, the UK has experienced outbreaks of midge-borne diseases like Bluetongue and Schmallenberg virus, causing significant losses to the livestock sector. Bluetongue virus, previously confined to England, was recently reported in Scotland for the first time in September 2026. Concurrently, the mosquito species Aedes aegypti, a vector for Dengue and other arboviruses in the tropics, was detected in east London.
However, knowledge regarding the ecology of UK midge and mosquito vectors, their pathogen transmission capacity, human and animal exposure risk factors, and effective control strategies remains limited. The PAMEC programme, in collaboration with SRUC, UKCEH, UKHSA, and APS Biocontrol, aims to address these critical gaps.
Dr Emilie Pondeville from the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research explained: “Taking a One Health, multi-disciplinary approach we will bring insights from cutting-edge lab work alongside data from field work carried out by our team of researchers in locations across the UK. Together this information will help inform new mathematical models that should enable us to better understand the current and future risks we face, as well as how to best prepare for any emerging vector-borne diseases in the UK.”
The project will first address knowledge gaps in midge and mosquito ecology to predict how vector-borne diseases respond to environmental change and interventions. Subsequently, the team will develop innovative methods for detecting emerging diseases in UK vector populations and assess their capacity to carry high-risk diseases as the climate changes.
The research will also focus on understanding sociological and environmental risk factors for human and animal exposure, alongside assessing risk awareness and potential mitigation options among highly exposed communities.
Finally, integrated biological, environmental, and sociological data will be used in statistical and mathematical models to enhance disease prediction and inform robust response strategies. Professor Ferguson added that the project will involve citizen scientists, farmers, public and animal health agencies, government bodies, and environmental NGOs to strengthen the UK’s capacity in identifying, limiting, and responding to vector-borne diseases, directly benefiting human, livestock, and wildlife health.
The research team will collaborate with stakeholders from the UK and Scottish governments, and partners including Public Health Scotland, the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, the Scottish Society for the Prevention and Cruelty to Animals, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety, Queen's University Belfast, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), The Pirbright Institute, and the Centre for Expertise in Animal Disease Outbreaks.
Professor Dominic Mellor, Consultant in Veterinary Public Health at Public Health Scotland, commented: "Environmental changes are increasing the potential for mosquito and midge-borne diseases to emerge in the UK, therefore it's important that we strengthen our understanding, surveillance and preparedness. Public Health Scotland is pleased to participate in the crucial work of the PAMEC project, building on the partnerships developed through Mosquito Scotland, to improve how emerging vector-borne threats are identified, assessed and communicated to help protect public health.”
