Calendar

Applications to population dynamics and animal epidemiology

Venue: CIRAD, Domaine de Duclos, Guadeloupe.

Trainer: Pauline Ezanno, (Oniris/Inra Nantes)

The invitation was extended to several research institutes in Guadeloupe (University of Antilles Guyane, INRA, Pasteur Institute, other CIRAD research teams, ARS, DAAF, ORSAG…).

In all, 6 young epidemiologists participated in the training from INRA (1), CIRAD plant health research (1) and from CIRAD Animal health research team (4).

The training aimed at introducing modeling of biological systems (mosquito population, simple epidemic models and dynamics of Vector-borne Diseases) for evaluation of population and epidemic dynamics and assessment of model behavior when parameters changed, including control strategies. Sessions were dedicated to computerized exercises to get trained on open source modeling software (Scilab, version 5.3.1).

See programme

The 3rd edition of that conference will be organized at Galadari Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The abstract entitled "Tracking the way to identify West Nile Vectors in the Caribbean" has been accepted for oral presentation

More information on the Conference, visit the Conference website

See Abstract submitted

The Caribbean Animal Health Network has held its 10th Steering Committee Meeting in conjunction with the 2nd Steering Committee Meeting of the Epigenesis Project.

For the first time, all technical and scientific presentations of the network were presented during the first Regional Conference on research and surveillance in Animal Health (1 day) together with presentations dealing with research conducted in Guadeloupe on priority diseases for the region.

All other presentations and discussions dealing with Network sustainability, strategical discussins, and achievements/recommendations of working groups were made during the CaribVET Steering Committe (1 day). One of the main topic discussed was the proactive programme of CaribVET for the Caribbean preparedness to the Avian Influenza threat. 

More information and presentations of the 10th CaribVET SC meeting are available on the CaribVET Website.

The X^th International Congress of Veterinary Virology (ESVV) will be held in Montpellier, France in the Congress Center “Le Corum”, located at the border between the old and new city. The ESVV2015 Conference will include a joint meeting with the 9th Annual Meeting of EPIZONE, the Network of Excellence for Epizootic disease diagnostic and control. The conference is organized by CIRAD.

Scientific topics covered at this edition will include enzootic, emerging and zoonotic viruses, evolution and genomics, diagnosis, viral immunology, vaccines, antivirals, epidemiology and risk assessment and modeling. The Conference will emphase on multidisciplinary approaches which are developped in research on virology. 9 worlwide recognized key note speakers are invited to participate and debate on the mains topics listed as well as on structural virology, virus evolution, cutting edge diagnosis, emerging viruses.

The scientific programme includes 111 oral presentations (61 is the SEVV Conference, 41 for Epizone and 9 for the Epigenesis Session), 157 posters. More than 380 participants of 49 countries are expected.

The EU/FP/Regpot Epigeensis project is one of the main sponsor of the conference. An Epigenesis parallel session on "Animal Health in the Caribbean" will be organized on the third day of the conference.

More information the programme

Download detailed programme of oral presentations here

Three meetings were organized in Montpellier for the preparation of the joint Congresses to be organized week of 31st August 2015: 

• the Xth International Congress of the European Society of Veterinary Virology (ESVV)
• the 9th Annual meeting of the EPIZONE, the Network of Excellence for Epizootic Diseases Diagnostic and Control

More specifically, the meeting intended to organize: abstract management and preparation of the conference proceedings; review conference facilities and work out final logistical details; finalize the organization of the congress; adapt the workplan for the last 2 months revising all tasks and responsibilities assisgned to each person from CIRAD involved in the organizing committe; and to prepare the Epigenesis parallel session which will be dedicated to Animal Health in the Caribbean.

Other related articles

• Visit the ESVV Conference Website
• Epigenesis parrallel session
• Organisation of a Public Round table within the frame of the Conference Viruses: old enemis? New friends?

A modelling symposium was organized by CIRAD (BGPI research team in Guadeloupe) and University of Antilles in Guadeloupe (LAMIA research unit) on risk modeling in epidemiology. About fourty persons participated, mainly from Guadeloupe and France. Four sessions were organized on the Campus of Fouillole (University of Guadeloupe):

• Statistical and numerical methods
• Risks in animal health
• Risks in plant health
• Risks in human health

Several researchers from CIRAD CMAEE Research unit participated in the symposium and presented their work:

1. Wy is living together so difficult? The romantic tragedy of two Amblyomma species in Mozambique (David Pleydel)
2. Species distributin modelling for rhipicephalus microplus in Benin, West Africa: comparin datasets and modellin algorithms (Eva De Clercq)
3. Movement restrictions to control the disease transmission in a livestock network and the effect of farmers strategic behavior (Damian Tago).

The session was introduced with a key note presentation from Michel Langlais (emerit professor at the Univeristy Victor Segalen, Bordeau2): a singular reaction-diffusion system modelling prey-predator interactions: invasion and co-extinction waves.

It was the first symposium on health modelling organized in Guadeloupe. The goal was to unite local and national experts in epidemiological modelling from plant, animal and human heath to trigger exchanges and emphasize cross-cutting methodology.

More information: 

- Workshop: Programme

- News on the CIRAD antilles Guyane Website

Dr. Eva De Clercq, a spatial epidemiologist recruited as a post-doc researcher at CIRAD, participated in the 2nd International Workshop on Temporal Analysis of Satellite Images, which was organized along with the 35^th Symposium of EARSeL. EARSeL is a scientific network of European remote sensing laboratories, coming from both academia and commercial/industrial sector, which covers all fields of geoinformation and earth observation through remote sensing.

The workshop intends to be forum for discussion of research issues related to temporal analysis of remotely sensed data.  Since the launch of Landsat-1 in 1972, a large number of earth observation satellites have been launched.  The wealth of multitemporal data provides excellent opportunities to study environmental changes at local, regional and global scale. The workshop includes a wide arrays of topics such as:
•    Multitemporal image calibration and correction
•    Landsat, NOAA AVHRR, MODIS, MERIS, SPOT VGT Data Archive
•    Multitemporal SAR and InSAR data analysis
•    Cross-sensor satellite data - data fusion
•    Methodology for analysis of temporal data
•    Change detection methods
•    Landuse and land cover dynamics
•    Vegetation dynamics,ecological processes and environmental impact
•    Applications of multitemporal data

Eva De Clercq presented a poster on Mapping mosquito habitat in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) using high and medium resolution imagery. See Abstract

More information on EARSel: visit the Association website, or the conference website.

More information on the International Workshop on Temporal analysis of satellite images.

One hundred and nine persons from 34 countries of Europe, America and Africa participate to the regional conference held in Guadeloupe on the 21^st of April 2015. EPIGENESIS European partners, Caribbean partners (members of CaribVET network), Guadeloupean partners and research experts from other countries were invited to the first regional conference on research and surveillance on animal and zoonotic infectious diseases in the Caribbean.

Participants were:

• Chief Veterinary officers representatives from 25 Caribbean countries
• Representatives from CARICOM Secretariat and representatives of regional and international organizations (OIE, FAO, IICA, PAHO, USDA)
• Research institutes (CIRAD Guadeloupe, CIRAD France, CENSA Cuba)
• Universities: University of the West Indies (Trinidad), University of Guyana (Saint Georges), Ross University, University of Mozambique
• Professional organizations (Caribbean Poultry Association, Belize Poultry Association, Jamaica Broilers)
• Representative of the French Ministry of Agriculture, of Guadeloupe region and of the Secretariat Technique Commun (Interreg programme) and USDA-FAS
• Partners of the Epigenesis project: INRA (Nantes), Ecole des Hautes Etudes de Santé Publique (EHESP, Rennes), Research Center on Animal Health of Cataluna (CReSA, Spain), AviaGIS (Belgium), IBET (Portugal), ITQB (Portugal)
• Members of the Epigenesis Scientific committee and Innovation and technology transfer boards: University of Antilles (Guadeloupe), Institut Pasteur de Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe University hospital, University of Aix Marseille, CIRAD CMAEE-Senegal, University of Minnesota
• Other participants included researchers from Institut Pasteur Guadeloupe, mosquito control agency (ARS-LAV), French public health agency (ARS)

The 1^st regional conference aimed to bring together chief veterinary officers, researchers, risk managers, animal health managers and other decision makers to foster a better dialog between science and policy in the field of animal health. It was organized the same week (from the 20^th to the 24^th of April 2015) as 3 other events: the EPIGENESIS steering committee (SC) meeting, including the EPIGENESIS innovation and technology transfer and the scientific committee boards, the CaribVET SC and the meeting of CARICOM Chiefs of veterinary services.

The scientific aspects included presentations and discussions on insect-borne diseases (West Nile virus, Blue tongue), tick-borne diseases (Heartwater, Anaplasmosis and babesiosis) and ticks  (Tropical Bont Tick, Cattle Fever Tick), rodent-borne diseases (leptospirosis), emerging and re-emerging diseases in the Caribbean, as well as new surveillance & risk assessment tools.

Research topics that were presented at the conference mainly dealt with research of CIRAD Guadeloupe, including the projects of the post-doc researchers recruited on the Epigenesis project while other scientific/technical presentations dealt with activities conducted within the frame of CaribVET Working groups and addressed surveillance and animal health policy more generally.

Access the programme of the Conference

More information:

• Article on the CIRAD Antilles-Guyane Website
• Article on the CaribVET Website
• Promotional Video of the event on Youtube
• Radio interviews on emerging diseases in the Caribbean organized during the April week meetings: Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea, Avian Influenza

The Conference was funded by the Epigenesis project and participation from Chief Veterinary Officers from CARIFORUM countries was supported by the 10^th European Development Funds SPS Project: “Support to the Forum of Caribbean States in the implementation of the commitments undertaken under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA): Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures” being executed by IICA. Additional funding support was provided by Guadeloupe Region and French Ministry of Agriculture (DAAF Guadeloupe).

Eva De Clercq has arrived at Avia-GIS for a two-week workshop on spatial data infrastructure.