Units

Spatial Epidemiology Lab

Person in charge of the Unit : Oui

Spatial epidemiology studies the effect of spatial factors on the emergence, spread and persistence of diseases and invasive species. The understanding of key spatial factors, such as environmental or anthropogenic variables, and their integration into spatial models can then be used to predict the geographical distribution of risk, which can contribute to better targetted prevention, surveillance and control measures. More specifically, our spatial epidemiology lab is concerned with baseline works on the denominator, i.e. the number of hosts, which are key spatial variables used in most epidemiological models, and we actively work on the improvement of large-scale data sets on the distribution of human and livestock populations. A second focus of active research is the spatial epidemiology of avian influenza, a major disease of poultry with a strong zoonotic potential.

Projetcs

Spatial ecology of pests and diseases

The interactions of various organisms (pests, pathogens, invasive species) with their habitat are analysed from a fundamental or an applied standpoint. Intraspecific relationships (chemical ecology, population dynamics, reproductive or foraging strategies, competition) are taken into account as well as interspecific relationships (chemical ecology, population dynamics, relationships to the host or prey, natural enemies, competitors), and the influence of various abiotic or anthropic constraints. One important component of our approach, spatial ecology, focuses on the spatial population dynamics of various types of, and on factors which influence their geographic propagation and/or development. This approach consists in describing, analysing and modelling the spatial and/or temporal distribution of populations of these organisms in relation with quantitative or qualitative descriptors of the conditions of their development, and this at variable scales. The techniques in use include uni- and multivariate spatial statistics, modelling and simulation in a supposedly continuous spatial environment (cellular automata), or in a supposedly discrete spatial environment (meta-population models).

Biological and Integrated Control

The laboratory is active in classical and neo-classical biological control (control of Dendroctonus micans and of D. valens using the predator Rhizophagus grandis), as well as in conservation biocontrol (establishment of environmental conditions  favouring the activity of the predator Thanasimus formicarius and the parasitoids Coeloides bostrichorum, Rhopalicus tutela, Roptrocerus xylophagorum in order to increase the natural control of Ips typographus). Integrated pest management is also a component of our activities: phytosanitary monitoring, pest risk analyses on quarantine organisms, pheromone or kairomone trapping'