2024 Workshop: Oslo, Norway

Overview

The second RBZD Workshop, titled “The animal-human interface of infectious diseases at the intersection of biology, ecology, anthropology and global change,” explored the risk of infectious diseases at the interface of animal and human populations.

  • Dates: 15 – 16 May 2024
  • Venue: The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi), Oslo, Norway & Digital Event

Organising Committee

  • Prof. Ottar Nordal Bjørnstad (Penn State University)
  • Dr. Camilla Stoltenberg (NORCE)
  • Prof. Atle Mysterud (University of Oslo)
  • Prof. Nils Chr. Stenseth (University of Oslo)
  • Prof. Nigel G. Yoccoz (UiT The Arctic University of Norway)

Scientific Programme

Day 1: Wednesday, 15 May

  • 09:00 | Welcome to the Academy – Ottar N. Bjørnstad & Nils Chr. Stenseth
  • 09:15 | Ecology of zoonoses, from leptospirosis to mpox – Jamie Lloyd-Smith
  • 09:45 | The Indian Ocean Dipole Drives Imported-dominated Dengue Outbreaks in China – Lei Xu
  • 10:30 | Anthropology of rodent-borne zoonoses in West Africa – Sagan Friant
  • 11:00 | Flip-board discussion – Janine Mistrick & Christina Harden
  • 12:45 | Animal movement and the spread of infectious disease – Sonia Altizer
  • 13:15 | Neglected tropical vector-borne diseases: Working 10 years with Sightsavers – Kareen Atekem
  • 13:45 | Lassa: The challenges of working in the field and at Biohazard 4 levels – Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet
  • 14:15 | Building a multimillion $ training network for zoonotic infections – Sarah Perkins
  • 15:00 | The persistence paradox. How do infections persist? – Peter Hudson
  • 15:30 | Plague in Eurasia and North Africa – 1300 till present – Nils Chr. Stenseth
  • 16:00 | How to run public health messaging and a Department of public health through a pandemic? – Camilla Stoltenberg

Day 2: Thursday, 16 May

  • 09:00 | The importance of rodent host population dynamics in transmission and spillover – Angela Luis
  • 09:30 | Where do we stand in our understanding of animal reservoir dynamics? – Nigel G. Yoccoz
  • 10:20 | Pathogens and soil – Chunfang Zhang & Chutian Zhang
  • 11:00 | Ecological reasons for differences and changes in host-zoonotic pathogen dynamics in Finland – Heikki Henttonen
  • 11:30 | Puumala vs Lassa: what are the challenges in the field on zoonoses in Finland vs Sierra Leone – Lina Moses
  • 13:15 | The pathogen-tick-host triad and Lyme disease emergence – Atle Mysterud
  • 13:45 | Reflections on the past and future – Andy Dobson
  • 14:30 | Round table: Lessons learnt – All attendees

Outputs

The primary outcome of the 2024 workshop, and a continuing theme for subsequent meetings, was the establishment of ongoing collaborative research networks among the international attendees, fostering interdisciplinary projects spanning ecology, epidemiology, and anthropology.