EDEN has selected a range of indicator human diseases that are especially sensitive to environmental changes and that are studied within a common scientific framework. Some of these diseases are already present in Europe (Tick- and Rodent-borne diseases, Leishmaniasis, West Nile fever), others were present historically (Malaria) or are on the fringes of Europe (Rift Valley Fever) in endemic regions of West and Northern Africa.

The project will combine:

1 - The description on the epidemiological cycles in a variety of representative environmental settings through an integrated and multidisciplinary approach:

• To characterise the competence and capacity of potential vectors, hosts and reservoirs likely to integrate, perpetuate or spread new functioning disease cycles.
• To identify intrinsic and extrinsic factors triggering or modulating emergence and spread in Europe and the endemic disease areas.
• To develop and implement methodologies for Pan-European predictive emergence and spread models.
• To examine current and (expected) future changes in the European environment likely to favour the emergence or re-emergence of vector-borne diseases.

2 - An innovative "trans-disciplinary" strategy for the unified analysis and exploitation of the various research outputs. Generic methods will be developed based on the follow up of the set of change indicators and risk factors extracted from the study of disease patterns and processes.

3 - The development of a set of tools for risk assessment and decision making (maps, risk indicators, scenarios) enabling improved public health decision making at the European Union and country level : catalogue of “emerging disease hot-spots”, preventive, early warning, surveillance and mitigation tools, "what if scenarios".