A renewed partnership with Senegal in animal epidemiology

A model had previously been developed on the population dynamics of tsetse flies, vectors of human and animal African trypanosomiasis. This model benefited from laboratory and field data from the partner laboratory on the species Glossina palpalis gambiensis in the Niayes region, a coastal area north of Dakar with an ongoing vector control project [1]. Currently, work is being carried out on Rift Valley fever (RVF) in northern Senegal, and a new model has made it possible to quantify the epidemic potential in the Ferlo region and the Senegal River valley and delta [2]. A visit was made to the Momar Talla Seck laboratory and a field mission allowed us to meet transhumant herders to better understand their itineraries and eventually characterise the impact of the mobility of their herds on RVF transmission. The recent recruitment of a modeller, Mamadou Ciss, by ISRA, will allow the remobilisation of these models for future work.

Perspectives :

To close the FORESEE project, a workshop is planned in Senegal to present the results and train the local team in the use of the models developed.

Valorisation :

The tsetse fly population dynamics model [1] was developed as part of the IVEMA project (Integrated Vector Management: innovating to improve control and reduce environmental impacts), funded by the Carnot Institute "Livestock Industry for the Future" (F2E).

The epidemiological model of Rift Valley fever [2] was developed as part of the FORESEE project funded by the GISA metaprogramme, coordinated by Maxime Ratinier and Renaud Lancelot. This work is mainly carried out within the framework of a PhD, funded by the Pays-de-La-Loire region, INRAE (GISA metaprogramme) and CIRAD.

References :

[1] Cecilia H., Arnoux S., Picault S., Dicko A., Seck M. T., Sall B., Bassene M., Vreysen M., Pagabeleguem S., Bance A., Bouyer J., Ezanno P. 2019. Environmental heterogeneity drives tsetse fly population dynamics and control. bioRxiv,  :493650 ver.3peer-reviewed and recommended by PCIEcology (2019) DOI: 10.1101/493650. 

[2] Cecilia H, Métras R, Fall AG, Lo MM, Lancelot R, Ezanno P. It's risky to wander in September: modelling the epidemic potential of Rift Valley fever in a Sahelian setting. 2020. Epidemics (In Press)