Multidisciplinary studies, systems approaches and parasite eco-epidemiology: something old, something new

Parasite requires an understanding of complex transmission systems where individual, population and environmental factors and their interactions can hardly been considered separately. Moreover, the importance of space and time in host population and parasite transmission processes is increasingly re...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Giraudoux P., Raoul F., Pleydell D., Craig P.S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: EDP Sciences 2008-09-01
Series:Parasite
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2008153469
Description
Summary:Parasite requires an understanding of complex transmission systems where individual, population and environmental factors and their interactions can hardly been considered separately. Moreover, the importance of space and time in host population and parasite transmission processes is increasingly recognised. The present review illustrates how epidemiology and transmission ecology have evolved in a multidisciplinary framework to a systems approach that includes both spatial and temporal dimensions. Focusing on population processes, three significant challenges are discussed: (i) integration of landscape ecology concepts and modelling across time-space scales, (ii) development of molecular methods that permits easy parasite/host identification and process tracking (e.g. host and parasite movements), and (iii) integration of sociology methods to estimate zoonotic risk and exposure.
ISSN:1252-607X
1776-1042