Modelling Infectious Diseases in Animal Populations

This course is focused on the prevention and control of infectious diseases and how mathematical models can help inform these efforts. The spread of infectious diseases in animal populations depends on the interaction between the individual host and the infectious agent, the interaction between hosts, and on how control measures can interfere with these processes. All these aspects should be considered when studying the effectiveness of control measures and eradication programs. To achieve this, it's important to gain a quantitative understanding of how efficiently an infectious agent spreads between individuals. This transmission between animals (in the presence or absence of control) can be estimated from data from lab and field experiments . We will combine statistical methods and mathematical models to estimate transmission parameters from data and derive reproduction numbers (an important measure of transmission potential) for different types of infectious agents. We will translate our knowledge on infectious disease epidemiology towards actionable recommendations for real world infectious disease challenges. Besides lectures, weblectures and computer practicals, the course consists of a group assignment, in which students work in teams on a real life disease management problem that is posed by an international expert and then present their findings to the experts. This part of the course is always considered as very useful by the students; it helps to process the contents of the course and it is also excellent training for later in their career.

• Demonstrate understanding of biology of transmission

• Recall and explain key factors that make an infectious disease spread through a population

• Recall and explain key elements and steps in developing control and eradication strategies

• Design, analyse, and interpret the outcomes of transmission studies

• Derive reproduction numbers for different types of pathogens using algebra and biological interpretation

• Design transmission models based on information on transmission

• Interpret outcomes of analyses and models and translate these to inform control efforts

• Understand literature relevant to transmission of infectious diseases

• Written test with open and closed questions (80%)
• Assignment other (20%)

QVE20306 Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics and/or QVE30306 Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology.

• Course guide and schedule are available well before the first lecture. The reader can be ordered via proefschriftmaken.nl