Outbreaks of (new) infectious diseases in humans and animals are becoming more prevalent worldwide. Various factors such as population growth, international travel and trade, changes in land use and climate change all contribute to higher disease risks. In the Netherlands, a relatively large number of people, livestock and animals live near each other, and exotic mosquitoes are becoming more common. The combination of water-rich landscapes, exotic mosquitoes, busy international trade and travel make the Netherlands increasingly vulnerable to future outbreaks of exotic infectious diseases. 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 regarding such pathogens. The large interdisciplinary consortium “One Health PACT” employs an integrated, multisectoral program to come up with a preparedness agenda regarding the expected increase in risk of mosquito-borne disease outbreaks, and how this depends on global change scenarios.

The position is part of the NWA project One Health PACT that also includes 26 PhDs across the Netherlands.

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For more information visit Postdoctoral fellow, Environmental Biology – academictransfer.com.