Department of Biology

Disease Biogeography in Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems

Dr. Luis E. Escobar
Virginia Tech

March 2, 2022
4-5pm

Hosted By Dr. Gideon Wasserberg

Abstract

Infectious diseases do not occur at random across time, host species, or geographic areas. Instead, infectious diseases have patterns that make them predictable in aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems. Many infectious diseases, especially zoonotic diseases, circulate in complex systems that may include diverse vector species and host reservoirs. Thus, classic epidemiological approaches may have limitations to capture important signals in zoonotic disease systems, and disease ecology may fail to predict disease distribution across large areas and broad study periods. Disease biogeography aims to understand major patterns on the distribution of host-parasite systems accounting for evolutionary, ecological, and environmental data. This talk will provide a brief overview of the emerging field of disease biogeography. Then, we will explore potential applications of disease biogeography to understand zoonotic diseases of wildlife origin, including effects of climate and landscape change on the emergence and expansion of infectious diseases. Finally, ongoing disease biogeography research at the Escobar Lab will be presented to promote intellectual exchange among researchers at UNCG.