A one-day symposium for World Mosquito Day, titled “A New Look at Vectors of Parasitic and Viral Diseases”, was held on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at the Modares Hall of the Pasteur Institute of Iran. This meeting, aimed at enhancing scientific knowledge, was attended by prominent researchers from Tehran, Shiraz, and Gilan Universities of Medical Sciences, the Center for Communicable Disease Management of the Ministry of Health, the Pasteur Institute of Iran, and the School of Public Health at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. It addressed the latest achievements in the control, combat, prevention, and modern-world challenges regarding the role of mosquitoes as one of the most important vectors of parasitic and viral diseases.

In the first part of the symposium, Prof. Mehdi Asmar, former Deputy of Research at the Pasteur Institute of Iran, introduced the luminaries and dignitaries of Iranian parasitology and medical entomology. Dr. Ghobad Moradi, Head of the Center for Communicable Disease Management at the Ministry of Health, explained the leishmaniasis control program. Subsequently, Dr. Ehssan Mostafavi, President of the Pasteur Institute of Iran, pointed out the historical, influential, and scientific role of the Pasteur Institute of Iran in the fight against infectious diseases.

Furthermore, the present researchers addressed the status of mosquito taxonomy in Iran, mosquito ecosystems and climate change, the challenges and threats of mosquitoes in today's world, and vectors of leishmaniasis and pappataci fever in Iran. Morover, arboviruses in Iran, the introduction of the National Insectarium of Iran, and natural vector engineering and interaction with Wolbachia bacteria were discussed. In the final part of the symposium, Prof. Mehdi Asmar was honored and appreciated with the presentation of a certificate of gratitude. Additionally, the award winners for outstanding papers in the field of mosquitoes as vectors of parasitic and viral diseases were honored and presented with awards.