(Theoretical) Epidemiology of infectious diseases
Aim:
The overall aim is to unravel mechanisms underlying the occurrence, evolution, spread and control of diseases in (farm) animal populations, and to develop and use quantitative methodological tools for that purpose. We aim to understand observed population phenomena from mechanistic insight into disease development at the level of individuals and the interactions both between these individuals and with their environment. We aim to identify risk factors and preventive factors for the spread or clinical manifestation of animal diseases acting at the primary production stages and to quantify their effects.
The diseases studied in this line can be categorized into four groups:
- Endemic diseases important from a farm-economic and/or welfare point of view,
- Epidemic diseases with control and/or eradication programmes beyond the level of the individual farm,
- Diseases or infections that have important public health impacts and
- Infections that motivate new methodology.
Focus:
The focus of our research in the coming period is on understanding the dynamics of the spread and control of infections where the interaction with the host occurs on different linked levels of integration. Within this area we aim at two classes of interaction. First, we study interaction between, on the one hand, the within-host dynamics of infectious agent and the immune system of the host, and on the other hand, the between-host dynamics of transmission. Secondly we study the link between, on the one hand, the spread within a population (mostly herd or farm), and, on the other hand, spread between such populations. In both cases we are interested in understanding these interactions in the context of improving control and intervention measures. Simultaneously the questions studied are an important stimulus for the development of new and improved methods of population dynamic modeling and analysis and, of equal importance, new experimental methods and animal models.
Tools:
Besides the classical epidemiological toolbox that includes observational studies and the associated analytical methods, we use animal experiments (both on an individual and a population level) and mathematical modelling as essential tools to integrate knowledge and explore population effects. In addition we employ tools from (population) genetics.
The sub-programme consists of experts in epidemiology, ruminant health, pig health, poultry health, mathematics, population dynamics, risk assessment, patho-physiology, microbiology and genetics.
Projects:
Examples of larger projects (several PhD students and postdocs per project) are:
- population dynamics and control of avian influenza (within and between-farm dynamics),
- immuno-epidemiology and ecology of coccidiosis in poultry (within and between individual dynamics),
- mathematical modelling of interaction on different scales of integration (within and between individuals; within and between populations),
- immuno-epidemiology and control of paratuberculosis (vaccine development; within and between individual dynamics).
For more information contact Prof. dr. Hans Heesterbeek