DETVET: students and teachers form the course acronym. Aerial image: Marcus Moura 

From Mozambique to Espírito Santo, and from there, to a paradisiacal setting in Rio de Janeiro. Aiming to provide better healthcare for the population of his homeland, 32-year-old Enes Xavier chose to live a unique experience immersing himself in the world of insect vectors and the pathogens they transmit. 

Between September 1st and 7th, he and 18 other future scientists chose the 'International Course on Ecological Determinants of the Dynamics of Vector-Borne Diseases (Detvectors)' to deepen their knowledge on the subject. 

Enes (holding the trap) in a field activity with students and teachers from Detvetores. Photo: Max Gomes

Held at the Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development (CEADS), at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), in Ilha Grande, on the southern coast of the state of Rio, the activity included theoretical and practical classes on different insects and vector-borne diseases, covering biological, ecological, social and environmental aspects. 

"My country is endemic for malaria and severely lacking professionals specialized in the subject. I had never had any contact with field activities or insect vectors. I really enjoyed going into the field, interacting with nature, and learning to capture insects. Every moment of the course made me even more curious to delve into this world. My focus is to try, in some way, to change the reality of the place where I was born. I'm certain that Detvetores will be a bridge to this change," emphasized Enes, who came to Brazil to pursue a doctorate in Health Biotechnology at the Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES). 

Organized by the Postgraduate Program in Tropical Medicine of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC/Fiocruz), in partnership with the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory (FMEL), the course provided master's and doctoral students from different parts of the country with contact with professors from renowned national and international institutions, contributing to internationalization and collaboration among participants.   

From the United States and Spain, professors Barry Alto, Nathan Burkett-Cadena, Lindsay Campbell and Tanise Stenn, from the University of Florida, and Tania Ayllon, from the Complutense University of Madrid, were present. 

From Brazil, Nildimar Honorio, Fábio Burack and Bruno Carvalho participated (IOC/Fiocruz); Jefferson Fernandes (Mosquito Vector Sentinel Operational Center, Nosmove/Fiocruz); Luciana Stanzani, Leandro Stanzani and Claudiney Biral (UFES); Helena Bergallo, Elizabete Lourenço and Euclides Neto (UERJ); Guilherme Sanches (National Institute of the Atlantic Forest, INMA); Rafael Erbisti (Fluminense Federal University, UFF); David Andrade (University of São Paulo, USP); Renata Campos, Mariane Branco and Carlos Zanini (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ); Agostinho Pereira (Federal University of Sergipe, UFS). 

Agostinho Pereira, from the Federal University of Sergipe, teaches a practical class on vector capture. Photo: Max Gomes

The practical workshops on insect capture techniques and fieldwork are the great differentiators of Detvetores and make the course unique in the entomological field. 

"The occurrence of vector-borne diseases, such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya, malaria, and Oropouche, for example, depends on the ecological relationships between vectors, hosts, and pathogens. In this course, we have the opportunity to exchange knowledge to combat these diseases. We also learn about methods used to collect and study arthropod vectors. We also share details on the biology, ecology, and distribution of these vectors," explained Nildimar Honório, mentor and general coordinator of Detvetores, a researcher at the Virus-Host Interactions Laboratory. IOC and coordinator of Nosmove/Fiocroz.

Coordinator Nildimar Honório during a practical class on capturing vector arthropods. Photo: Max Gomes

The 2025 edition of Detvetores had a collegiate coordination representing different partner institutions: Vanessa de Paula (IOC), Luciana Stanzani (UFES), Jorge Rey and Tanise Stenn (FMEL/UF), Helena Bergallo and Euclides Neto (UERJ) and Rafael Erbisti (UFF). The committee also included two graduates of the course, who acted as monitors: Aline Cupolillo (IOC, 2023 edition) and Raphael Leonardo (IOC.

Collegiate coordinator and faculty at the University of Florida. Photo: Max Gomes

Outside the conventional classroom environment, students had the opportunity to experience the steps that precede the laboratory bench. Vector collection experts presented a variety of traps and demonstrated how to collect insects. 

“I think it’s important for students to know how this type of work is done, because working with vectors requires a collaborative effort between the field and the laboratory,” said Jefferson Fernandes da Silva, an endemic agent specializing in mosquito capture at the Mosquito Vector Sentinel Operational Center (Nosmove/F).iocruz). 

"The Three Mosquito Nets": Mateus, Larissa, and Sandy learn to capture mosquitoes in a practical class taught by coach Jefferson Fernandes. Photo: Vinicius Ferreira

The master's student of the Postgraduate Program in Tropical Medicine at IOC, Larissa Leitão, highlighted how the practical class will contribute to the development of her research. 

"I had never been to the field before, and this class was crucial because, during my dissertation, I'll need to collect mosquitoes and analyze whether they're infected with viruses from the Flavivirus genus, such as dengue and yellow fever," said the 23-year-old biologist from Ananindeua, Pará. 

Doctoral student Sandy Gomes, from the Postgraduate Program in Parasite Biology at IOC, shared the same positive feeling as her friend Larissa. 

“The fieldwork was very important, as I hadn’t yet had contact with some types of traps,” added the 25-year-old biomedical scientist. 

Student Artur Santana observes a mosquito captured during fieldwork. Photo: Vinicius Ferreira

Professor Renata Campos, from UFRJ, highlighted the complementary nature of the initiative.  

"Detvetores is a multidisciplinary course because it brings together professors from various specialties, which greatly complements the work developed here. Often, those working in the lab don't understand what happens in the field. And here, we have the opportunity to have several exchanges, understanding the difficulties in the field, what can be improved, and how to collect quality material," he emphasized. 

"Participating in fieldwork with students is an enriching experience. They learn from us, and we learn from them. This exchange is very important," added researcher Tania Ayllon of the Complutense University of Madrid. 

In total, the students analyzed around 400 specimens of vector arthropods collected in the region. 

"With this course, students have the opportunity to put into practice many things that would otherwise remain only theoretical. They also get to network, because there are several professors and students with different expertise. Many leave the course interested in learning about other institutions, both national and international, given the international nature of Detvetores," highlighted the coordinator of the Postgraduate Program in Tropical Medicine at IOC, Vanessa de Paula.

Theoretical classes provided the basis for practical activities and final presentations. Photo: Vinicius Ferreira

Before the practical activities, students had access to a wealth of expository content, based on theoretical lectures. The topics covered varied, and they explored relevant aspects that helped them understand the complexity of tropical diseases, many of which are considered neglected.  

Among the topics covered, we can highlight the importance of entomological and epidemiological surveillance, the impact of climate change on insect proliferation, biology and geographic distribution of vectors, reservoir animals, dynamics of virus transmission, statistical analysis, risk stratification and species identification. 

Numerous vectors were covered in the classes, such as mosquitoes of the Aedes and Haemagogus genera, ticks, sand flies, anophelines, triatomines and maruins, which can transmit diseases of public health importance, such as oropouche, dengue, Zika, chikungunya, West Nile virus, yellow fever, leishmaniasis, malaria, spotted fever and others. 

"The exchange of knowledge between scientists and students is absolutely crucial. Without this connection and without courses like this, especially on an international scale, it becomes more difficult to implement improvements in public health. This course allows us to come together, share ideas, and tackle these diseases. So, I'd like to tell these young researchers to share their ideas, talk to others, do good research, publish frequently, and always stay positive," emphasized Barry Alto of the University of Florida. 

Researcher Barry Alto during one of the Detvetores classes. Photo: Max Gomes

For Richard Melo, a 20-year-old Statistics student at UFF, Detvetores can be considered a 'watershed' in his life. 

"I really enjoyed this experience. Personally, I'm a very shy person and I'm not used to talking. But my classmates were so nice and kind that they got me to open up, and after that, I haven't stopped talking," he joked. 

"It was very moving to see the students deliver incredible presentations in such a short time. Some had never encountered the world of vector arthropods. Because the course is international, the official language is English. It was impressive to see how each participant overcame the language barrier and dedicated themselves to the classes, discussions, and even networking. We had a wonderful week," commented Nildimar, emotionally. 

“Using the content from the presentations and classes, we expect to prepare proceedings and articles related to Detvetores,” the general coordinator said. 

Participants of the 2025 edition of Detvetores. Photo: Disclosure