CLIMOS News

VIENNA, Austria (April 29, 2026) Partners of the EU-funded CLIMOS project gathered in Vienna to present the final results that address the growing threat of climate-induced expansion of sand fly populations to northern countries of Europe and the diseases they transmit, such as leishmaniasis and Toscana virus, the consortium highlighted critical field data, an innovative Early Warning System (EWS), and the official launch of the public CLIMOS Toolkit.

Leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania parasites and transmitted through the bite of sand flies affects humans and animals (mainly dogs) in the Mediterranean basin. Climate change has created new ecological niches favourable to the establishment of invasive vector species, including sand flies. Field evidence shows that the geographical distribution of sand flies is changing.

We reached out to Nerea Aizpurua and she provided two examples that she finds useful in practice.

There’s a good chance that sand flies don’t give much thought to research ethics or data management. However, the researchers in CLIMOS certainly do.

Travelling abroad to volunteer for wildlife conservation is often an exciting and fulfilling experience. However, for Georgia Podmore, a trip to Costa Rica turned into a long and distressing health battle after she contracted leishmaniasis from sand fly bites.

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne infection ranked by the World Health Organization as second most important protozoan parasitic disease after malaria for its morbidity, mortality and global distribution.

Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis is a sand fly-borne disease caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania infantum and is widely distributed in temperate and subtropical countries of both the Old and New Worlds

Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis is a sand fly-borne disease caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania infantum and is widely distributed in temperate and subtropical countries of both the Old and New Worlds

Salep was a 6.5-year-old rescue Golden Retriever from Izmir, Turkey, who sadly passed away from leishmaniasis in the UK on 3 September 2024.

CLIMOS' initiative to bring together a large group of scientists and resources from Europe and neighboring countries to develop an early warning system for sand flies well deserves an explanation.

In today's world, where global health issues are getting more and more complex, it's more important than ever to use foresight scenarios in policy making.

Danyang Wang represented the CLIMOS project at the 8th World One Health Congress in Cape Town with her impactful poster on understanding and predicting sand fly occurrences in Europe.

My name is Jessica and I am the founder of Leishmaniasis Advocacy Network. I was infected with cutaneous Leishmaniasis, and I am here to tell you how a trip to the Mexican jungle led me to developing an advocacy network for patients around the world.

The CLIMOS General Assembly, held in Rome and hosted by Istituto Superiore di Sanità, showcased a series of vital developments in the ongoing work to assist public authorities to fight against sand fly-borne diseases, including leishmaniasis and phlebovirus infections. As the project finalizes its second year of realization, partners gathered to assess progress, and the final impact of our research.

September 9-13, 2024 - The 11th International Symposium on Phlebotomine Sandflies (ISOPS XI) gathered leading researchers and experts from across the globe in a five-day event focused on the latest advancements in phlebotomine sandfly research.

The OGC Innovation Days Europe is a critical event that brings together experts from various fields to address the challenges and opportunities in Climate and Disaster Resilience, One Health, and Data Spaces.

In the CLIMOS project, we are developing an early warning system for diseases transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies, tiny blood- sucking insects similar to mosquitoes. As climate changes allow sand flies to spread to new areas, they can carry pathogens that cause diseases in humans and animals.

From June 26 to 28, 2024, the European Urban Resilience Forum (EURESFO24) was held in the vibrant city of Valencia, Spain. This annual event has become a cornerstone for urban resilience, attracting city leaders, climate experts, policymakers, and stakeholders from across Europe and beyond to collaborate on strategies for building resilient cities in the face of climate change and other urban challenges.

The CLIMOS project is excited to wrap up the recent foresight stakeholder workshop titled "Envisioning the Future for an Early Warning System (EWS) for Sand Fly-borne Diseases in Europe." This significant event, held at the Helmholtz Association in Berlin, was coordinated by the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Trilateral Research. 

Universidade Nova de Lisboa Open Day provides an excellent opportunity for participants to engage with the institution's activities and connect with dedicated teachers and researchers shaping the future of science. The CLIMOS project was proud to be part of this event, showcasing its contributions to scientific progress and its commitment to addressing pressing global health challenges.

There’s a good chance that sand flies don’t give much thought to research ethics or data management. However, the researchers in CLIMOS certainly do.

The Mediterranean Basin, which began to form with the northward movement of the African Plate during the Cretaceous Period and was shaped by complex paleogeographic events, is one of the biodiversity hotspots on Earth. Hosting 22 different ecological regions, the biodiversity in the Mediterranean Basin has emerged as a result of the interaction of region-specific geomorphological, climatic, and tectonic factors.

Mark your calendars for the 11th International Symposium on Phlebotomine Sandflies (ISOPS), set to take place from September 9-13, 2024, at the Bernardin Congress Centre in Portorož, Slovenia.

Mark your calendars for the 11th International Symposium on Phlebotomine Sandflies (ISOPS), set to take place from September 9-13, 2024, at the Bernardin Congress Centre in Portorož, Slovenia.

“People never notice anything.” wrote J.D. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye. I would also like to take this opportunity to tell you an anecdote about ignorance from my own life which, when I remember it, still fills me with a sense of unease and guilt towards my grandmother even after so many years.

On the 23rd of March, the CLIMOS project had the honor of leading an enlightening lecture on leishmaniasis tailored specifically for children aged 8 to 10. Hosted at the prestigious Center for Talented Minds in the Czech Republic, this event aimed to educate young minds about the threats posed by parasites to both humans and our beloved pets.

Katharina Platzgummer and Edwin Kniha from the Medical University of Vienna made a significant mark on March 16th at the colloquium of the Austrian Entomological Society in Innsbruck by presenting CLIMOS with an informative poster.

I was inspired to take on the role of CLIMOS coordinator as it will allow me together with the other 28 partners to develop innovative solutions that have tangible impacts on public and animal health following a One Health approach. This project not only aligns with my academic background but also represents a significant step towards enhancing preparedness and mitigating the spread of sand fly-borne diseases in a changing world. Sand flies are tiny, hairy-winged insects that belong to the Phlebotominae subfamily. They can be found in warm and tropical climates worldwide.

When we think of arthropods carrying infectious diseases, mosquitoes, and ticks often come to mind. However, there’s a third vector that’s relatively unfamiliar but equally relevant: sand flies. Sand flies are tiny, hairy-winged insects that belong to the Phlebotominae subfamily. They can be found in warm and tropical climates worldwide.

The European Climate Health Cluster attended the ‘Research Perspectives on the Health Impacts of Climate Change’ Conference in Brussels, on 19 and 20 February.

A pivotal event unfolded as industry leaders, innovators, and experts convened at the 11th European Networking Event, themed "Successful R&I in Europe 2024." Amidst this gathering, I had the privilege to contribute as a speaker in the parallel workshop session focused on Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment, expertly organized by ZENIT GmbH.

Mark your calendars for the 11th International Symposium on Phlebotomine Sandflies (ISOPS), set to take place from September 9-13, 2024, at the Bernardin Congress Centre in Portorož, Slovenia.

Due to the advancement of emerging technologies and the advent of Big Data as a fundamental part of modern life, there have been significant changes in how data is collected and analysed. As it happens to the life cycle of the sand fly species Phlebotomus papatasi, data also undergoes a detailed process of development and evolution to extract valuable information that can support decision-making.

Due to the advancement of emerging technologies and the advent of Big Data as a fundamental part of modern life, there have been significant changes in how data is collected and analysed. As it happens to the life cycle of the sand fly species Phlebotomus papatasi, data also undergoes a detailed process of development and evolution to extract valuable information that can support decision-making.

CLIMOS leverages the power of cutting-edge data and AI technologies to revolutionize the fight against sand fly-borne diseases, particularly those caused by Leishmania parasites and Phleboviruses.

Phlebotomine sand flies can be found in various regions around the world, primarily in warm and tropical climates. However, climate change is dramatically altering their geographical landscape. Milder winters and warmer temperatures extend their reach into new regions, prompting earlier and intensified sand fly activity. This shift increases the risk of sand fly-borne diseases in areas where they were previously non-existent.

In today's world, at every step we can find different platforms that display information related to the impact on human health. The number of platforms grows from year to year, which is good, but it also brings with it questions about the relevance of those platforms and their survival after commissioning and the first year in operational mode.

Spreading awareness about leishmaniasis is vital, especially as sand fly geographical distribution expands due to climate change, there’s a concerning lack of public knowledge, particularly in the areas where new occurrences are emerging.

CLIMOS project, represented by Yusuf Ozbel and Seray Toz hailing from the Ege University in Turkey, participated in the 23rd National Parasitology Congress 2023.

Climate change has and will continue to transform the flora and fauna of Europe, and along with this, hosts of new diseases are likely to spread to domestic animals and to people. It is also likely that diseases spread by sand flies, such as leishmaniasis, will rise. Sand flies that have become endemic in southern Europe are already migrating to the European North as the climate is becoming warmer.

The CLIMOS project participated in the XII European Congress of Entomology (ECE 2023) held in Heraklion, Crete, on 16-20 October 2023. The project presentation was by led by Gioia Bongiorno representing Istituto Superiore di Sanità.

Climate change is already having adverse effects on the transmission and spread of vector-borne diseases, and the severity of these impacts is expected to escalate. The CLIMOS project is playing an important role in mitigating and preventing the transmission and spread of vector-borne diseases.

On September 22nd, a dynamic gathering of approximately 30 distinguished professionals and experts from diverse domains, including healthcare, policymaking, citizens, and veterinary governance, convened to deliver valuable insights on the core achievements of CLIMOS.

As part of the CLIMOS project, the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is supporting the move toward FAIR systems for use in the emergency alert systems and data pipelines. Specifically, OGC is addressing the interoperability challenges faced when combining health, environmental, Earth observation, and climate model data.

CLIMOS project, represented by Eduardo Berriatua and Pedro Cutillas, hailing from the University of Murcia in Spain, participated in the 29th International Conference of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology, held in Chennai, India, from August 20th to 24th, 2023.

Nenad Gligoric Chief Executive Officer at Zentrix Lab recently concluded a productive, three-day workshop from 24-27 August 2023, where key stakeholders came together to co-create the CLIMOS EWS platform. This innovative Early Warning System (EWS) is designed to address sand fly population linked to climate change, and the diseases they cause.

Stakeholder engagement is always challenging, mainly in the scope of Innovation Projects, however, it is crucial for successfully delivering project results.  According to Kijala et al (2022) “the research on stakeholder engagement has gained increasing attention in the 2000s”, and I truly believe that the best is yet to come. 

The SigmaPhi 2023 conference held in Chania, Crete, witnessed an impressive presentation by Suzana Blesic on behalf of CLIMOS, shedding light on the complex relationship between climate and vector-borne diseases.

The Climate-Health Cluster, composed by BlueAdapt, CATALYSE, CLIMOS, HIGH Horizons, IDAlert and TRIGGER will have a joint session called "Health Impacts of Climate Change: a way forward with the Climate-Health Cluster", chaired by Raman Preet, that will take place on the Main Room, B1-2, between 15:30 and 16:45 CET.

On the 27th of June 2023 Suzana Blesic and Nils Hempelmann rocked at the OGC Data week that took place at Leipzig, Germany, presenting the CLIMOS project.

Our coordinator, Carla Maia, attended the European Veterinary Parasitology Collegue presenting the CLIMOS poster "Providing a better knowledge and comprehension of climate and environmental drivers of sand fly-borne diseases - the CLIMOS project"

Early-warning for surveillance and sandfly-borne disease-related risks forecast is one of the main goals for CLIMOS. These insects (phlebotomine sand flies), transmission vectors for diseases such as leishmaniasis, were mainly found around Mediterranean Europe, but displacement towards Northern parts of that geographical area have been documented in recent times.

CLIMOS project, represented by Vladan Gligorijević from CubexLab partner, was disseminated and presented on the biggest innovation and tech event in Europe - VivaTech that took place from 14-17.06.2023 in Paris, France.

CLIMOS researchers Luis Samaniego and Suzana Blesic were present at the European Geoscience Union General Assembly 2023 from 23 to 28 of April 2023, in Vienna, Austria. The EGU General Assembly 2023 brought together geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences.

World Environment Day, celebrated annually on 5 June, is a global initiative that brings together individuals, businesses, governments, and organisations to raise awareness and act on pressing environmental issues. The EU funded projects BCOMING, TRIGGER, CLIMOS, IDAlert and BEPREP will run a social media campaign to raise awareness of the potential risks plastic pollution poses for infectious diseases – its spread and occurrences.

For a long time, people have known that our natural environment and climate affects the spread of disease. Before germ theory, western medicine blamed damp, bad air for generating diseases like smallpox and plague. Wetness and heat, coldness and dryness and the balance between them were the source of all ills. With advancements in medicine, technology and research, we now understand that weather doesn’t create disease out of thin air, but does have a crucial role in their spread.

Conference on Connecting Health and Climate Change: the hybrid conference is organized by ENBEL - Enhancing Belmont Research Action to support EU policy-making on climate change and health.

The Forecasting, Early Warning System and Tools partners organised the first foresight consortium workshop using the STEEPED framework to uncover “Which Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political, Ethical and Demographic dimensions are likely to affect the use of the Early Warning System by stakeholders?”. It was held online on the 5th of April 2023.

The Forecasting, Early Warning System and Tools partners met in the University of Haifa, between 13 and 14 of March 2023, where they discussed and agreed on methodological approaches to sand fly presence and numbers and sand fly borne diseases modelling and projections.

According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, an Early Warning System (EWS) is “an integrated system of hazard monitoring, forecasting and prediction, disaster risk assessment, communication and preparedness activities systems and processes that enables individuals, communities, governments, businesses and others to take timely action to reduce disaster risks in advance of hazardous events” (UNDRR, 2023).

The CLIMOS project (Climate Monitoring and Decision Support Framework for Sand Fly-borne Diseases Detection and Mitigation) puts under a spotlight phlebotomine sand flies – small, hairy dipterans that may seem like an unlikely candidate to attract a focused effort of a research consortium comprised of 29 partners that will pursue the project aims for next three years in many European and adjacent countries.

The CLIMOS (full title: Climate Monitoring and Decision Support Framework for Sand Fly-borne Diseases Detection and Mitigation) project is a transdisciplinary and multisectoral collaboration that aims at providing new knowledge, tools and solutions for mitigation and adaptation of human and veterinary health sectors to challenges of climate change, cantered around the model of how climate affects the spread of the sand fly-borne diseases, their vectors, and pathogens.

CLIMOS was presented during the OGC panel “The Climate for Good Health may be Changing” hosted at the European Space Agency – ESA by Nenad Gligoric, from Zentrix Lab, and Nils Hempelmann, from The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), both partners of the CLIMOS project.

CLIMOS completed the first deliverable which reflects the planned communication and dissemination activities of the project.

CLIMOS completed the first deliverable which reflects the planned communication and dissemination activities of the project.

Nils Hempelmann, OGC representative, presented the CLIMOS project during the session “Disaster Readiness outcomes of the OGC Disasters pilot for flooding & landslides”, where he received feedback from the audience.

Suzana Blesic, from Institute for Medical Research (Servia), presented an abstract about CLIMOS project and the project's main ideas at the Conference on Complex Systems

Vit Dvorak, from Charles University, explained how CLIMOS plans to provide a better understanding of climate and environmental drivers of sand fly borne diseases.

CLIMOS – Climate Monitoring and Decision Support Framework for Sand Fly-borne Diseases Detection and Mitigation with Cost-benefit and Climate-policy Measures brings together researchers...

Our project coordinator Carla Maia presented CLIMOS Project at the European Health Forum Gastein, during the “The health impacts of the climate crisis...