Research Vincent Sluydts

Abstract

Biodiversity loss in hotspots of biodiversity is, among other socio-ecological factors, key to understand, prevent and react to future pandemics. However, despite this knowledge, the current COVID-19 crisis highlights the limitations of the implementation of One Health approaches. A main limitation is the lack of context-adapted solutions that stakeholders could easily implement on the field. To overcome this, BCOMING will build on past international projects to co-construct innovations with all stakeholders of biodiversity hotspots to reduce the risk of infectious disease emergence through biodiversity conservation and disease surveillance strategies. The activities of the project will be implemented in Europe and three tropical biodiversity hotspots in Southeast Asia, West Africa and the Caribbean and will have the following expected impacts: - BCOMING will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the impact of biodiversity on the risk of infectious disease emergence - Participatory tools developed will facilitate the design of context-adapted biodiversity conservation and restoration strategies that reduce zoonotic risk - The surveillance strategies and pathogen detection tools developed will improve the capacities to detect emergences and stop future epidemics before they can turn into pandemics The consortium constitutes a strong multi-actor group of partners with a history of successful cooperation including academics from biomedical, environmental and social sciences, private companies, NGOs, local and international stakeholders who bring together the wide range of disciplines and expertise required to reach all the expected outcomes of the call. The embedment of BCOMING in the Prezode initiative will help to scale up the project innovations and disseminate cutting-edge socio-economic environmental strategies.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Leirs Herwig
• Co-promoter: Sluydts Vincent

Research team(s)

• Evolutionary ecology group (EVECO)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Apart from consuming and spoiling animal feed, and damaging infrastructure in and around farm buildings, rodents are a considerable threat to animal health and One Health. They can cause direct stress on pigs and poultry but are mainly important as carriers of pathogens. These include economically very significant diseases like Swine dysentery, Aujeszky's Disease, PCV2 and Encephalomyocarditis. Wild brown rats can carry Influenza A and might act as an intermediate for the transmission of avian influenza between wild birds and poultry. For some other diseases like African Swine Fever, rodents may act as mechanical reservoirs or they may support ticks that can carry ASF. Rodents also play a role in the epidemiology of leptospirosis and salmonellosis or in spreading antibiotic resistant bacterial strains such as livestockassociated MRSA. They can pick up the infection from infected pigs or poultry and spread it within and between farms, they can act as a bridge between wild fauna and livestock, and they can maintain the infection locally when a farm is emptied and decontaminated after a disease outbreak or livestock turnover. Thus, there are very good reasons for rodent management on pig and poultry farms. An important approach has always been the use of rodenticides. However, concerns about the environmental safety of the most common rodenticides has led to changes in the European and national regulations that restrict their use and pose new challenges for efficient rodent management on farms. There is also the problem of resistance against these poisons. This project RODENTGATE will investigate the rodent-related risks for animal health in the pig and poultry industry and how this might change with altered rodent control. Ecologically-based rodent management is a strategy that combines an Integrated Pest Management approach with a thorough knowledge of the rodent ecology, enabling interventions to be precisely targeted in time and space, whilst being ecologically and economically sustainable. This requires a very good understanding of the rodent demography, life history, space use, dispersal capacities as well appropriate documentation of pathogen presence and transmission patterns in the rodent population. Proper understanding of transmission mechanisms is crucial since killing hosts may have unexpected effects on the spreading of an infection. RODENTGATE's specific objectives are 1) to document changes in disease risk for pigs and poultry when classical rodent management around farms is prevented and rodent populations around farms change in abundance or composition and 2) to propose appropriate evidence-based and economically sustainable strategies for the ecologically-based management of rodents and rodent-borne infections around farms. These questions will be addressed by a multidisciplinary consortium of scientists from Belgium, UK, Germany, The Netherlands, and Poland, using a combination of analysis of existing data, sampling rodents, environment and livestock on farms, molecular diagnosis of pathogens, field work on rodent population biology and movements, ecological modelling, control strategy development and communication with the pig and poultry industry and pest control industry.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Leirs Herwig
• Co-promoter: Sluydts Vincent

Research team(s)

• Evolutionary ecology group (EVECO)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The greenhouse horticulture sector in the border region Flanders - the Netherlands has a very high productivity, is innovative and takes second place as the exporting region in the world. Smart crossovers between greenhouse horticulture with high-tech systems and materials can ensure a strengthened and future-oriented position. The specific cross-over between sensor technology and horticulture offers great opportunities but is still insufficiently used. GROW! changes that.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Weyn Maarten
• Co-promoter: Sluydts Vincent

Research team(s)

• Internet Data Lab (IDLab)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Pest monitoring is the basis for good biological control. In this research project we will develop an ecological monitoring system, whereby the ratio of pest and beneficials in tomat and pepper greenhouses is taken into account in the decision support system. This ratio is indispensable to determine the control strategy.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Sluydts Vincent

Research team(s)

• Evolutionary ecology group (EVECO)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Mastomys mice are the most important rodent pests in Africa. An existing, but site-restricted bio-economical model will be validated, for the first time under real field conditions and in cooperation with local farmers. Regional variation in population dynamics will be included in the model through the demographic analysis of existing capture-recapture data from 4 countries. The final model will provide a tool to formulate economical control strategies.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Leirs Herwig
• Fellow: Sluydts Vincent

Research team(s)

• Evolutionary ecology group (EVECO)

Project type(s)

• Research Project