Publications
RVF vector spatial distribution models: vector abundance Institute of Tropical Medicine
Assessment of the probability of entry of Rift Valley fever virus into the EU through active or passive movement of vectors Institute of Tropical Medicine
The overall aim of this scientific report is the assessment of the probability of entry of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) into the European Union (EU) through active or passive movement of vectors. Two different import pathways were considered in this report, i.e. import through flights and import via cargo on ships. The import through road transport, eggs or immature stages, and wind was not considered in this report as thought to be ...
Enhancing preparedness for arbovirus infections with a One Health approach: the development and implementation of multisectoral risk assessment exercises Institute of Tropical Medicine
Background: One Health is receiving attention for arbovirus infection prevention and control and for defining national "intersectoral" priorities. Increasing awareness of intersectoral priorities through multisectorial risk assessments (MRA) is promising, where data are not systematically shared between sectors. Towards this aim, the MediLabSecure project organized three MRA exercises (hereby called exercises): one on West Nile virus, one on ...
Households or hotspots? Institute of Tropical Medicine
BACKGROUND: Malaria "hotspots" have been proposed as potential intervention units for targeted malaria elimination. Little is known about hotspot formation and stability in settings outside sub-Saharan Africa.
METHODS: Clustering of Plasmodium infections at the household and hotspot level was assessed over 2 years in 3 villages in eastern Cambodia. Social and spatial autocorrelation statistics were calculated to assess clustering of ...
Past and future spread of the arbovirus vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus Institute of Tropical Medicine
The global population at risk from mosquito-borne diseases-including dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika-is expanding in concert with changes in the distribution of two key vectors: Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The distribution of these species is largely driven by both human movement and the presence of suitable climate. Using statistical mapping techniques, we show that human movement patterns explain the spread of both ...
Abundance of Phlebotomine sand flies in changing epidemiological settings of visceral leishmaniasis in Nepal Institute of Tropical Medicine
Important Aedes infestation levels in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo Institute of Tropical Medicine
An updated meta-analysis of the distribution and prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in ticks in Europe Institute of Tropical Medicine
Background: The bacteria of the group Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. are the etiological agents of Lyme borreliosis in humans, transmitted by bites of ticks. Improvement of control measures requires a solid framework of the environmental traits driving its prevalence in ticks.
Methods: We updated a previous meta-analysis of the reported prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in questing nymphs of Ixodes ricinus with a literature search from ...
Importance of household-level risk factors in explaining micro-epidemiology of asymptomatic malaria infections in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia Institute of Tropical Medicine University of Antwerp
Heterogeneity in malaria risk is considered a challenge for malaria elimination. A cross-sectional study was conducted to describe and explain micro-epidemiological variation in Plasmodium infection prevalence at household and village level in three villages in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. A two-level logistic regression model with a random intercept fitted for each household was used to model the odds of Plasmodium infection, with ...