Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases

Benjamin Roche is a researcher at the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) in Montpellier, France. His work has mostly focused on the study of diversity involved in infectious diseases, from diversity of hosts (i.e., dilution effect) to the diversity of pathogens (through phylodynamics of influenza viruses) through diversity of transmission modes (consequences of direct and environmental transmission of influenza viruses and Buruli ulcer). He is also working on vector control strategies against Chikungunya in French overseas territory and on prevention strategies against Buruli ulcer in Cameroon. He is leading an international project aiming to develop an innovative conceptual and methodological framework to envision optimal public health strategies. He has published more than 60 papers in leading international journals.Hélène Broutin is a researcher at CNRS (the French National Center of Scientific Research) working on the ecology of infectious diseases. She is currently based at the University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Senegal. Her principal research focuses on vaccine preventable diseases in low income countries, mainly in Africa. She uses a multidisciplinary approach to identify the determinants (environmental, genetics, genetic, and population) that drive the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases, and the impact of vaccination, with a specific focus on meningitis, respiratory infections, pertussis, and measles. The final goal of her research is to help improve vaccine strategies for a better control of diseases in the long term in low income countries. She is a member of the steering committee of MERIT (Meningitis Environmental Risk Information Technologies), an international experts group on meningitis in Africa led by WHO. She has published more than 20 papers in international journals.Frederic Simard is an expert in vector biology and control working at the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) in Montpellier, France. He has spent 15 years in tropical Africa exploring the population biology, ecology, and genetics of major mosquito disease vectors. Bridging field and lab studies, medical entomology and evolution, he has been interested in exploring issues related to local adaptation, speciation, and transmission. He has published more than 160 papers in peer-reviewed journals in diverse areas of molecular biology and evolution, genetics and genomics, vector control, and tropical medicine. He is a member of the editorial board of several scientific journals and participates in scientific and advisory committees for various national and international institutions. In 2015, he was appointed Director of the MIVEGEC research unit for 6 years by IRD, CNRS, and the University of Montpellier.

• Preface Peter Hotez: 1: Benjamin Roche, Thierry Baldet and Frédéric Simard: Infectious diseases in low-income countries: Where are we now? 2: Frédéric Pagès, Dominique Maison and Michael Faulde: Current control strategies for infectious diseasesin low income countries 3: Rebecca Grais: Research in crises: overcoming obstacles and lessons for the future Benjamin Roche, Hélène Broutin and Frédéric Simard: Afterword I: The burden 4: Cécile Viboud, Hélène Broutin and Gerardo Chowell: Spatial-temporal transmission dynamics and control of infectious diseases: Ebola virus disease (EVD) as a case study 5: Rodolphe E. Gozlan and Marine Combe: Environmental change and pathogen transmission 6: Anne-Laure Bañuls, Van Anh Thi Nguyen, Quang Huy Nguyen, Ngoc Anh Thi Nguyen, Hoang Huy Tran and Sylvain Godreuil: Antimicrobial resistance: the 70-year arms race between Humans and Bacteria 7: Jessica Lynn Webster and Marco Vignuzzi: Viral evolution and impact for public health strategies in low-income countries Benjamin Roche, Hélène Broutin and Frédéric Simard: Afterword II: Fundamental knowledge 8: Matthew Ferrari: Using Disease Dynamics and Modeling to Inform Control Strategies in Low-Income Countries 9: Paul W. Ewald: Evolutionary control of infectious disease in low-income countries 10: Mathieu Nacher: Using pathogen interactions: challenges and opportunities 11: Patrick Mavingui, Claire Valiente Moro and Pablo Tortosa: Exploiting symbiotic interactions for vector/disease control 12: Heather Ferguson, Patrick Brock and Steve Torr: Host species diversity and the transmission of vector-borne disease in low income countries Benjamin Roche, Hélène Broutin and Frédéric Simard: Afterword III: Tunable methods 13: Marco Pombi, David Modiano and Gilberto Corbellini: Malaria eradication in Italy: the story of a first success 14: Andres Garchitorena, Matthew H. Bonds, Jean-Francois Guégan and Benjamin Roche: Interactions between ecological and socio-economic drivers of Buruli ulcer burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Opportunities for an improved control. 15: Isabel Jones, Andrea Lund, Gilles Riveau, Nicolas Jouanard, Raphael A. Ndione, Susanne H. Sokolow and Giulio A. De Leo: Ecological control of schistosomiasis in Sub-Saharan Africa: restoration of predator-prey dynamics to reduce transmission Benjamin Roche, Hélène Broutin and Frédéric Simard: Afterword IV: Case studies 16: Eve Miguel, Florence Fournet, Serge Yerbanga, Nicolas Moiroux, Franck Yao, Timothée Vergne, Bernard Cazelles, Roch K. Dabiré, Frédéric Simard and Benjamin Roche: Optimizing public health strategies in low-income countries: Epidemiology, ecology and evolution for the control of malaria. 17: Jan Slingenbergh, Giuliano Cecchi and Marjan Leneman: Human activities and disease transmission: the agriculture case 18: Matthew H. Bonds, Andres Garchitorena, Paul E. Farmer and Megan B. Murray: Ecology of Poverty, Disease and Health Care Delivery: Lessons for Planetary Health 19: Dominique Kerouedan: African and global health care prospects: The importance of the use of knowledge 20: Benjamin Roche, Hélène Broutin and Frédéric Simard, on behalf of all authors: Optimizing public health strategies in low-income countries: The challenge to apply the scientific knowledge and for which disease? Afterword Awa Marie Coll Seck and Ibrahima Seck:

The cherry on the sundae is [...] the final chapter, in which the editors deliver a synthesis that takes the form of a list of key problems in public health that could be improved by applying evolutionary ecology, complete with recommendations. The heads of government — all heads of government — would do well to read it.