PhD Defence: Jurrian van Irsel
Promotion time for One Health PACT PhD Jurrian van Irsel!
On Thursday, January 15th, Jurrian van Irsel will defend his PhD thesis titled: “From Mosquitoes to Birds: Unravelling the Role of Avian Hosts in Vector-Borne Pathogen Dynamics” in the Aula at the Radboud University (Comenuislaan 2, Nijmegen).
Three key insights from Jurrian’s thesis:
Science in 1
“The Usutu virus, carried by mosquitoes, spread across the Netherlands in just a few years. Blackbirds were hit especially hard, their numbers dropped by about 30%. Also other familiar garden birds declined where the virus appeared. Interestingly, none of the migratory birds showed a decline in numbers following the emergence of Usutu virus in the Netherlands.”
Science in 2
“Citizens can help us by noticing early signs about wildlife disease outbreaks (citizen science). Reports of dead birds from the general public turned out to be extremely valuable. Observed dead Eurasian Blackbirds (common blackbird) were reported to the Dutch Wildlife Health Centre and Sovon. The large number of reports (hundreds of dead Blackbirds!) helped track where the virus was spreading and when bird populations started declining.”
Science in 3
“Birds move a lot within and between seasons, especially young birds. These movements allow viruses to spread between places. In particular, birds tend to move towards cities during winter. As a result, birds coming from outside urban areas may introduce pathogens that can harm city-dwelling birds. Urban birds don’t have weaker immune systems, adults even boost theirs to handle city stress. However, this enhanced immune response may come with a trade-off, making them more vulnerable to newly emerging viruses, including pathogens that can also infect humans.”
Not attending in-person, but online? The link to the livestream will be shared later. The online viewing will only be available when the defence begins at 14.30.
One Health approach
The 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.