Projects
Puumala hantavirus variation in heterogeneous environments in western Europe: ecological drivers and epidemiological outcomes. University of Antwerp
Genetic diversity and molecular epidemiology of hantaviruses KU Leuven
Hantaviruses are zoonotic pathogens responsible for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) after human transmission. Pathogenic hantaviruses primarily have rodents as their reservoir, with humans acting as an accidental dead-end host. The actual hantavirus host range appears to be much broader with hantaviruses detected in shrews, moles, bats, reptiles, and fish. In Western, Northern, and Central ...
Separating history from natural selection during the co-evolution of hantaviruses and their rodent hosts in Europe. University of Antwerp
Infectious disease models: wildlife ecology, ecological disturbance and transmission to humans. University of Antwerp
Model-based prediction of outbreak dynamics of nephropathia epidemica using climate and vegetation data KU Leuven
Wildlife-originated zoonotic diseases in general are a major contributor to emerging infectious diseases. Fifteen emerging zoonotic or vector-borne infections with increasing impact on humans in Europe were identified during the period 2000-2006. Global climate change may be a major contributor to the spread of these zoonotic diseases. Rodent borne hantavirus infections are part of this list. Puumala virus (PUUV), hosted by the bank vole ...
Host-switching and co-speciation in the evolutionary history of two RNA viruses in Eastern Africa. University of Antwerp
Functional Genomics for Emerging Infectious Diseases KU Leuven
The focus of my proposed research is on the ecology of emerging zoonotic viruses, both in their natural and dead-end host context. I propose to investigate these viruses’ clinical relevance for and the genetic susceptibility of their host, and to explore and predict the mechanisms that determine the capability of these reservoir-borne viruses to switch hosts as well as their pathogenic potential. To achieve these goals, I am finalizing an ...