Pauline de Best

Project

Track: 21, From theory to practice, what to do when and where?

Promotor

Marion Koopmans; Aura Timen

Co-promoter(s)

yet to be determined

Institute

Erasmus MC, RIVM

Description PhD project

The overall One Health PACT project sets out to provide warning indicators for tipping points, new surveillance and risk assessment tools and ecosystem maps, my PhD project aims to translate all this new knowledge into actionable interventions and preparedness/response guidelines. In addition to the knowledge generated during the OHPACT project, relevant stakeholders will be identified and their expert opinion will be taken into account. The interventions and guidelines that will be developed within this PHD project will be tested in outbreak simulation exercises with the identified stakeholders. In addition to that, interventions will be modelled to test their effectiveness. Eventually this PhD will result in, up to date guidelines for an arboviral disease outbreak and a set of interventions for the prevention and control of these arboviruses. Within these interventions and guidelines the four change scenarios will be taken into account.

Research questions / objectives

To create preparedness plans and outbreak management guidelines for new emerging arbovirus disease outbreaks including intervention strategies, based on stakeholder priority topics, research results from work package 1 to 8 and outbreak simulation results.

To identify which stakeholders are currently involved in preparedness planning, outbreak management and policy making for arboviruses.
To identify which additional stakeholders should be involved, taking into account the research pillars of OHPACT, the four change scenario’s and the different stages of preparedness and control.
To identify which data from the experimental, modeling and mapping studies are prioritized by the identified core and expanded stakeholders to create a list of priority topics for preparedness and response guidelines, from a multi-stakeholder perspective, taking into account the four change scenario’s.
To design and use an outbreak simulation to create a common understanding on the preparedness planning process on the one hand, and the utility of research findings for preparedness on the other had. This will be used to design and use an outbreak simulation based on the identified priority topics, to ensure a seamless translation of the research findings to public health practice, while protecting animal and environmental health.
To design intervention strategies based on research results from wp1-8, stakeholder priority ranking and literature, to alter human behavior and manipulate the environment to reduce mosquito densities and to prevent reaching tipping points. And to model the effectiveness of these interventions.
To develop an up to date guideline on vector-borne disease outbreak preparedness and management based on translated knowledge from the research project, identified priority topics and findings from outbreak exercises, resulting in a complete guideline including vector competence, distribution, exposure assessment and control.

Timeline

Tags matching with the contents of track 21

Methods

Fieldwork
- Bird trapping/sampling/surveillance: Within my project, knowledge will be translated into public health action, Bird samples and surveillance outcomes are a part of this.
- Wildlife trapping/sampling/surveillance: Within my project, knowledge will be translated into public health action, wildlife samples and surveillance outcomes are a part of this.
- Domestic animal trapping/sampling/surveillance: Within my project, knowledge will be translated into public health action, domestic animal samples and surveillance outcomes are a part of this.
- Public health surveillance: Within my project, knowledge will be translated into public health action, public health surveillance outcomes are a part of this.
Citizen science
- Citizen science: Outcomes collected by citizen scientists could be translated into public health actions. Interventions will involve citizen actions.
Modelling
- Species distribution: Identified risks/ tipping points and other outcomes can be translated into public health actions.
- Epidemiological modelling: Identified risks/ tipping points and other outcomes can be translated into public health actions.
- Ecological modelling: Identified risks/ tipping points and other outcomes can be translated into public health actions.
Literature
- Literature review: I will likely conduct a literature review on the different types of vector control (integrated vector management) and their applicability to the Dutch situation.
- Document analysis: I will perform a document analysis to identify stakeholders and learn lessons from guidelines of other countries dealing with arboviruses.
Qualitative research:
- Interviews/ focus-groups: I will perform interviews/ focus groups with stakeholders to identify additional stakeholders, the role of stakeholder within the preparedness and response and to identify prioritized research outcomes for outbreak preparedness and control.
- Stakeholder analysis: I will perform stakeholder analysis to identify all the relevant stakeholders in the field of arboviral preparedness and response.

Topics

Vector:
- Vector movement patterns, migration: Outcomes might be used in intervention / guideline development.
- Vector movement patterns, dispersal: Outcomes might be used in intervention / guideline development.
- Habitat suitability: Outcomes might be used in intervention / guideline development.
- Vector host-preference: Outcomes might be used in intervention / guideline development.
Host:
- Host movement patterns: Outcomes might be used in intervention / guideline development.
- Host Seroprevalence: Outcomes might be used in intervention / guideline development.
Environmental:
- Water: Outcomes might be used in intervention / guideline development.
- Climate: Outcomes might be used in intervention / guideline development.
- Habitat type: Outcomes might be used in intervention / guideline development.
- Pollution: Outcomes might be used in intervention / guideline development.
Interventions:
- Preparedness: My project will look at interventions and guidelines for the prevention of arboviruses.
- Improved surveillance( response surveillance): My project will look at interventions and guidelines for the prevention of arboviruses, surveillance is a part of this.
- Other interventions: New interventions will be developed as part of my project.

Species

Species:
- Human: My research is directed at public (human) health.
- Mosquito: Interventions will be targeted at mosquitoes, so while I do not directly use mosquitoes, this is a specie of interest within my project.

Virus

Virus:
- Virus (general): My project will focus on preparedness and control for arboviruses in general.