Venezuela and its rising vector-borne neglected diseases

Poverty remains the overriding social determinant for the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), but over the last several decades, we have also seen how political destabilization or even outright conflict can hasten economic declines and promote a substantial uptick in NTD incidence and prevalence. Recent examples include the emergence of Ebola virus infection in West Africa, visceral leishmaniasis and other NTDs in East Africa , and cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as guerilla activities linked to the drug trade in Latin America. Vector-borne (taken here to encompass diseases transmitted by arthropods or snails) and zoonotic NTDs have been disproportionately represented among these emerging or reemerging infections