Título: Mathematical models for agricultural pest and disease vector control

Orador: Luís Almeida (LJLL, CNRS and Sorbonne Université, Paris, France)

Data: sexta-feira, 19 de Abril de 2024, 11h00min

Local: UMinho, campus de Gualtar

Grupo: Análise e Aplicações

Resumo:

The fast and global expansion of the invasive tiger mosquito (which has rapidly progressed in Europe, including Portugal, in recent years) and is a vector of many diseases including Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya, is a major public health problem.

Traditional mosquito elimination techniques are resource intensive and often unsustainable since the insecticides used pollute the environment and severely impact biodiversity. Moreover, mosquitoes rapidly develop insecticide resistance which reduces control effectiveness. Alternative methods for disease vector population control are thus an essential part of epidemic prevention worldwide, in particular for mosquito-borne diseases. Among these novel control methods, the sterile and insect techniques (SIT, IIT) and replacement strategies have gained traction in the scientific community.

In this talk we will see some mathematical models for mosquito population control and how mathematics can be used to conceive robust control strategies or optimize the intervention cost while minimizing its environmental impact. Similar models can also be used in agro-ecology for pest control to avoid the use of pesticides.