PhD Defence: Charlotte Linthout

Promotion time for One Health PACT PhD Charlotte Linthout! 🦟💧🐦‍⬛

On Friday, the 4th of October 2024, Charlotte Linthout, defended her PhD thesis titled: ‘The role of native and invasive mosquito species in the spread of emerging arboviruses in the Netherlands’ at the Wageningen University & Research.

Short description of Charlotte’s thesis:
West Nile virus and Usutu virus are mosquito-borne flaviviruses responsible for recurring disease outbreaks among humans and animals in Europe. This thesis explores how intrinsic and extrinsic factors affect the vector competence—the ability to transmit viruses—of native and invasive mosquitoes in the Netherlands. Specifically, we investigated the effects of temperature, virus isolate, mosquito species, and microbiome on the vector competence of the native species Culex pipiens pipiens and the invasive species Aedes japonicus. The research highlights the importance of area-specific vector competence studies to refine risk models and forecast future vector-borne disease outbreaks in the Netherlands as environmental conditions, mosquito populations and their viruses evolve.

Missed Charlotte’s defence? Watch it here!

One Health approach

These PhD projects from the One Health PACT consortium explore the complex interplay between mosquitoes, viruses, ecosystems, and public health. Together, they provide new insights into disease dynamics, environmental drivers, and the neurological impact of mosquito-borne viruses, while also addressing how scientific knowledge can inform preparedness and policy. Collectively, the research exemplifies the power of a One Health approach to tackling emerging infectious diseases.