How can the Netherlands be better prepared for infectious diseases transmitted by mosquitoes? Over the next five years, research into this question will be carried out within the Netherlands Centre for One Health with funding from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), supplemented by seven public organisations. The multidisciplinatry character of the collaboration is unique, with a key role for citizen science. One of the collaborative partners in the research is NIOO-KNAW.

The NWO funding to the tune of 9 million euros is part of the organisation's National Science Agenda, which was commissioned by the Dutch government with the aim of promoting partnerships between scientists, businesses and social organisations on urgent issues.

Outbreaks of (new) infectious diseases in humans and animals are becoming more prevalent worldwide. This is due to various factors, including population growth, international trade, international travel and climate change. In the Netherlands, a relatively large number of people, livestock and animals live side by side. In combination with our water-rich landscape and busy international trade and travel, it makes us vulnerable to outbreaks of infectious diseases.


Global changes affect the human, animal, and environment ecosystem
making new outbreaks of existing and new virus diseases possible.
(Copyright: Marion Koopmans / Frank Deege)

Professor Marion Koopmans is one of the Scientific Directors of the Netherlands Centre for One Health and head of virology at Erasmus MC, which will lead the research. "Large disease outbreaks are thankfully quite rare. However, if such an outbreak occurs, we only investigate it from that moment onwards, which means we are always chasing after the facts."

Given our changing world, says Koopmans, we need to be ready for more frequent infectious disease outbreaks, also in Europe. "As the health of people, animals and the environment is interrelated, the most effective approach is to consolidate our strengths by collaborating with partners from different disciplines. By working together, we will be better prepared for the future."

Vector-borne diseases

The team will mainly focus on vector-borne diseases: infectious diseases transmitted by insects such as mosquitoes. As a result of climate change, exotic mosquito species are becoming more common in the Netherlands. But under the right conditions, mosquito species native to the Netherlands can transmit (tropical) viruses too.

The recent outbreak of the usutu virus (the 'blackbird disease') among birds demonstrates the importance of early preparedness for such diseases. NIOO's Centre for Avian Migration and Demography has played a key role in collecting information about the virus, with NIOO also being one of the collaborative partners in the One Health research.

"I can't think of a single country where so many birds are observed, tallied or counted", says the head of NIOO's Centre for Avian Migration and Demography, Henk van der Jeugd. "All that data contains clues which may tell us in an early stage if something is going on. By intelligently combining data and using advanced techniques to process it, we can single out these signals: sudden changes in population numbers, increased mortality, unusual movements. So birds, in this case, are quite literally the 'canaries in a coalmine' that tell us to be alert."

Outbreaks can arise due to a combination of factors. Over the next five years, 25 PhD researchers will focus on four themes that influence the development of outbreaks:

  • Changes in the climate
  • Changes in water management
  • Changes in agricultural methods
  • Changes concerning international travel and import risks.

They will investigate the impact of changes in the climate, water management, agricultural methods and import risks on the probability of a vector-borne virus outbreak in the Netherlands. Through collaboration with researchers from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), and the blood banks in the Netherlands and the Dutch Caribbean, the outcomes will be translated into measures to ensure we are better prepared for a possible disease outbreak.

"Ultimately, we want to develop a sort of 'weather forecast' for the risk of outbreaks", says Koopmans.

Citizen science

As part of the research, the team will collaborate with various scientific organisations and make use of research results from other projects. These will include citizen science projects: initiatives in which citizens and high school pupils are involved. For example, they will use travel apps such as the Municipal Health Services’ 'GGD reist mee' and the 'ZIeKA-monitor', and provide research data about birds, mosquitoes and water. NIOO has a long history of working with citizen scientists to collect such information.

"Our citizen scientists are volunteer well-trained bird ringers", says Van der Jeugd of the Centre for Avian Migration and Demography. "They sample birds to find out which viruses they carry. This provides us with information about which viruses are there, and which ones are new to the country. How do such new viruses then behave, in which areas are they most concentrated, what impact do they have on the bird host population and what are the potential risks of transmission to humans."

Partners

  • Coordination: Erasmus MC
  • Collaborative partners: Avans University of Applied Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University/Naturalis, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Radboud University Medical Centre, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Wageningen University & Research
  • Co-funding partners: Deltares, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), Red Cross Blood Bank Foundation Curacao, Sanquin, Technasium Foundation, Centre for Monitoring of Vectors (CMV)
  • International collaborating partner:: Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB) a research institute within the Superior Council of Scientific Investigations (CSIC)

Netherlands Centre for One Health

NCOH is a collaboration of 9 Dutch academic research institutes focusing on One Health research. It aims to realise an integrated approach to the global risks of infectious diseases and to create sustainable solutions for major societal challenges in the areas of human, animal, and ecosystems health.