The vectors and reservoirs implicated in the transmission of Chagas disease, dengue, leishmaniasis, malaria, and yellow fever were identified from reviews. Data were then obtained for the vectors and reservoirs so identified. There were three sources for the data included in the database:

1. a number of data points came from field records collected in the laboratories of contributors;
2. an extensive literature search was performed to obtain vector occurrence data from published sources. the ISI Web of Knowledge and Google Scholar were searched using "distribution" along with the genus and species names of each of the vectors identified in the reviews. References from the publications identified on the basis of this search were also consulted for additional data;
3. for malaria, those records included in the MARA database that were not independently identified during the literature search were also included in the database.

1. the record represented a vector or reservoir either confirmed or suspected to be involved in the transmission of an infectious disease;
2. the record specified the species of the vector or reservoir;
3. the record could be georeferenced to at least the nearest arc minute