Characterizing the basic reproduction number, R(0), for many wildlife disease systems can seem a complex problem because several species are involved, there different epidemiological reactions to infectious agent at life-history stages, or multiple transmission routes. Tick-borne diseases an important example where all these complexities brought together as result of peculiarities tick life cycle and routes that occur. We show here one overcome by separating host population into...

Geographical maps indicating the value of basic reproduction number, R₀, can be used to identify areas higher risk for an outbreak after introduction. We develop a methodology create R₀ vector-borne diseases, using bluetongue virus as case study. This method provides tool gauging extent environmental effects on disease emergence. The involves integrating vector-abundance data with statistical approaches predict abundance from satellite imagery and biologically mechanistic modelling that...

Background Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in the Mediterranean Basin, where dog main reservoir host. The disease's causative agent, Leishmania infantum, transmitted by blood-feeding female sandflies. This paper reports an integrative study of canine a region France spanning southwest Massif Central and northeast Pyrenees, vectors are sandflies Phlebotomus ariasi P. perniciosus. Methods Sandflies were sampled 2005 using sticky traps placed uniformly over area approximately 100 150...

This paper presents a comprehensive theory for the demographic analysis of populations in which individuals are classified by both age and stage. The earliest models were classified. Ecologists adopted methods developed human demographers used life tables to quantify survivorship fertility cohorts growth rates structures populations. Later, motivated studies plants insects, matrix population structured size or stage developed. these has been extended cover all aspects age-classified...

Abstract West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus which has caused repeated outbreaks in humans southern and central Europe, but thus far not northern Europe. The main mosquito vector for WNV, Culex pipiens , consists of two behaviourally distinct biotypes, molestus can form hybrids. Differences between such as competence host preference, could be important determining the risk WNV outbreaks. Risks establishment modelled with basic reproduction number ( R 0 ) models. However,...

The abundance of infected Ixodid ticks is an important component human risk Lyme disease, and various empirical studies have shown that this associated, at least in part, to landscape fragmentation. In study, we aimed exploring how varying woodland fragmentation patterns affect the through tick abundance. A cellular automata model was developed, incorporating a heterogeneous with three interactive components: age-structured population, classical disease transmission function, hosts. set...

Models for the spatial distribution of vector species are important tools in assessment risk establishment and subsequent spread vector-borne diseases. The aims this study to define environmental conditions suitable several mosquito through modelling techniques, compare results produced with different techniques. Three i.e., non-linear discriminant analysis, random forest generalised linear model, were used investigate suitability Netherlands three indigenous (Culiseta annulata, Anopheles...

Inter-individual variance in longevity (or any other demographic outcome) may arise from heterogeneity or individual stochasticity. Heterogeneity refers to differences among individuals the rates experienced at a given age stage. Stochasticity variation due random outcome of applied with same properties. The stochasticity can be calculated Markov chain description life cycle. multistate model that incorporates heterogeneity. We show how use this approach decompose into contributions and...

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis, is one of the most challenging and persistent health issues in many countries worldwide. In several countries, bTB control complicated due to presence wildlife reservoirs infection, i.e. European badger (Meles meles) Ireland UK, which can transmit infection cattle. However, a quantitative understanding role cattle badgers transmission elusive, especially where there spatial variation relative density between Moreover, as these two...

The application of projection matrices in population biology to plant and animal populations has a parallel infectious disease ecology when next-generation (NGMs) are used characterize growth numbers infected hosts (R(0)). NGM is appropriate for multi-host pathogens, where each matrix element represents the number cases one type host arising from single individual another type. For matrices, calculations sensitivity elasticity rate changes elements generated insight into populations. These...

Accurate estimation of population size is key to understanding the ecology disease vectors, as well epidemiology pathogens they carry and plan effective control activities. Population can be estimated through mark-release-recapture (MRR) experiments that are based on assumption ratio recaptured individuals total captures approximates marked released population. However, methods obtain estimates usually consider pooled data often number unmarked captures. We here present a logistic regression...

Variance in longevity among individuals may arise as an effect of heterogeneity (differences mortality rates experienced at the same age or stage) individual stochasticity (the outcome random demographic events during life cycle). Decomposing variance into components due to and is crucial for evolutionary analyses.In this study, we analyze from ten studies invertebrates laboratory, use results partition its components. To do so, fit finite mixtures Weibull survival functions each data set by...

West Nile virus (WNV) is principally considered to be maintained in a mosquito–bird transmission cycle. Under experimental conditions, several other routes have been observed, but the significance of these additional nature unknown. Here, we derive an expression for basic reproduction number (R0) WNV including all putative between birds and mosquitoes gauge relative importance establishment WNV. Parameters were estimated from published results. Sensitivity analysis reveals that R0 sensitive...

H5N1, highly pathogenic avian influenza, continues to pose a public health risk in the countries of southeast Asia where it has become endemic. However, Thailand, which experienced two largest recorded epidemics 2004-2005, disease been successfully reduced very low levels. We fitted spatio-temporal model spread infection outbreak data collected during second wave outbreaks assess extent different poultry types were responsible for propagating infection. Our estimates suggest that would not...

A longitudinal investigation on tick populations and their Borrelia infections in the Netherlands was undertaken between 2006 2011 with aim to assess spatial temporal patterns of acarological risk forested sites across country variations genospecies diversity. Ticks were collected monthly 11 nymphs examined for infections. Tick expressed strong seasonal variations, consistent significant differences mean densities sites. present all study sites, a site-specific prevalence per month ranging...

The incidence of Lyme borreliosis varies over time and space through as yet incompletely understood mechanisms. In Europe, is caused by infection with a Borrelia burgdorferi (s.l.) genospecies, which primarily transmitted bite Ixodes ricinus nymphs. aim this study was to investigate the spatial temporal variation in nymphal prevalence B. (NIP), density questing nymphs (DON) resulting infected (DIN).We investigated rates I. that were collected monthly between 2009 2016 12 locations...

Abstract Biological control of ticks using entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) is a highly desired alternative to chemical acaricides for the tick-borne pathogens. For Metarhizium anisopliae isolate ICIPE 7, one these EPFs, efficacy against multiple tick species has been demonstrated in laboratory and field settings. However, we currently have little quantitative understanding how EPFs can impact transmission. We developed deterministic model tick–host–pathogen interactions explore effects EPF on...

In a garden experiment we investigated the response to continuous removal of either flower buds or rosette in three perennial grassland species ( Hypochaeris radicata , Succisa pratensis and Centaurea jacea ), which differ longevity flowering type. We distinguished two possible responses: compensation for lost by making more same type, switching towards development other life history functions. Both responses were demonstrated our experiment, but bud had significantly different effects each...

Over the past decades, Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1895)) has emerged in many countries, and it colonized new environments, including urban areas. The species is a nuisance potential vector of several human pathogens, better understanding habitat preferences needed for help successful prevention control. So far, preference environments not been studied Southern European cities. In this paper, spatial statistical models were used to evaluate relationship between egg...

Longitudinal studies are fundamental in the assessment of effect environmental factors on tick population dynamics. In this study, we use data from a 10-year study 11 different locations Netherlands to gauge effects climatic and habitat temporal spatial variation questing activity. Marked differences total number ticks were found between years. We investigated which might explain variation. No per year observed, but clear temperature onset addition, positive associations (1) humus layer...