Herwig Leirs

Human plague occurrences in Africa: an overview from 1877 to 2008 (2009)

Bertherat, Eric, Leirs, Herwig

Plague remains a public health concern worldwide, but particularly in Africa. Despite the long-standing history of human plague, it is difficult to get a historical and recent overview of the general...

Livestock grazing intensity affects abundance of Common shrews (Sorex araneus) in two meadows in Denmark (2009)

Schmidt, Niels M, Olsen, Henrik, Leirs, Herwig

Abstract Background Current nature conservation in semi-natural grasslands often includes grazing and hay cutting, as well as the abandonment of draining. Semi-natural grassland and in particular...

Are local plague endemicity and ecological characteristics of vectors and reservoirs related? A case study in north-east Tanzania (2009)

Anne LAUDISOIT, Simon NEERINCKX, Rhodes H. MAKUNDI, Herwig LEIRS, Boris R. KRASNOV

The pattern of plague endemicity in Tanzania is characterized by continuous re-appearance of the disease in some locations, while in other neighbouring villages the disease has never or seldom been...

A comparison of DNA extraction procedures for the detection of Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of Buruli ulcer, in clinical and environmental specimens. (2009)

Durnez, Lies, Stragier, Pieter, Roebben, Karen, Ablordey, Anthony, Leirs, Herwig, Portaels, Françoise

Mycobacterium ulcerans is the causative agent of Buruli ulcer, the third most common mycobacterial disease in humans after tuberculosis and leprosy. Although the disease is associated with aquatic...

Are local plague endemicity and ecological characteristics of vectors and reservoirs related? A case study in north-east Tanzania (2009)

Makundi, Rhodes, Leirs, Herwig, Krasnov, Boris CORA

The pattern of plague endemicity in Tanzania is characterized by continuous re-appearance of the disease in some locations, while in other neighbouring villages the disease has never or seldom been...

Geographic distribution and ecological niche of plague in sub-Saharan Africa (2008)

Neerinckx, Simon B, Peterson, Andrew T, Gulinck, Hubert, Deckers, Jozef, Leirs, Herwig

Abstract Background Plague is a rapidly progressing, serious illness in humans that is likely to be fatal if not treated. It remains a public health threat, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. In spite...

Geographic distribution and ecological niche of plague in sub-Saharan Africa (2008)

Townsend, Peter, Leirs, Herwig

BACKGROUND: Plague is a rapidly progressing, serious illness in humans that is likely to be fatal if not treated. It remains a public health threat, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. In spite of...

Environmental conditions and Puumala virus transmission in Belgium (2007)

Linard, Catherine, Tersago, Katrien, Leirs, Herwig, Lambin, Eric F

Abstract Background Non-vector-borne zoonoses such as Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) can be transmitted directly, by physical contact between infected and susceptible hosts, or indirectly, with the...

Monitoring rodents movements with a biomarker around introduction and feeding foci in an urban environment in Tanzania (2007)

Katrine Mohr, Herwig Leirs, Abdul Katakweba, Robert Machang'u

Rodents are of concern as reservoirs and transmitters of pathogens that cause zoonotic and other diseases in domestic animals and humans. The contact between wild and urban rodent fauna is increasing...

Plague and the human flea, Tanzania (2007)

Leirs, Herwig, Makundi, Rhodes H, Van Dongen, Stefan, Davis, Stephen, ...

Domestic fleas were collected in 12 villages in the western Usambara Mountains in Tanzania. Of these, 7 are considered villages with high plague frequency, where human plague was recorded during at...

Interdisciplinary on-site evaluation of stone bunds to control soil erosion on cropland in Northern Ethiopia (2007)

Gebremichael, Desta, D'aes, Margo, Yihdego, Gebremedhin, ...

Since two decades, stone bunds have been installed in large areas of the Tigray Highlands, Northern Ethiopia, to control soil erosion by water. Field studies were conducted to quantify the...

International Journal of Health Geographics 2007, 6:55 doi:10.1186/1476-072X-6-55 (2007)

Catherine Linard, Katrien Tersago, Herwig Leirs, Eric F Lambin, Catherine Linard, Katrien Tersago, ...

This Provisional PDF corresponds to the article as it appeared upon acceptance. Fully formatted PDF and full text (HTML) versions will be made available soon. Environmental conditions and Puumala...

Strategier til giftfri bekæmpelse af rotter og mus (2004)

Lodal, Jens, Knorr, Mette, Leirs, Herwig

I nærværende delprojekt er første fase en kortlægning, der identificerer de faktorer i systemer med udendørs svineproduktion i Danmark, som kan have betydning for forekomst af potentielle...

Strategier til giftfri bekæmpelse af rotter og mus (2004)

Lodal, Jens, Knorr, Mette, Leirs, Herwig

I nærværende delprojekt er første fase en kortlægning, der identificerer de faktorer i systemer med udendørs svineproduktion i Danmark, som kan have betydning for forekomst af potentielle...

The Bioeconomics of Controlling an African Rodent Pest Species (2003)

Skonhoft, Anders, Stenseth, Nils Chr., Leirs, Herwig, Andreassen, Harry P., Mulungu, Loth S. A.

The paper treats the economy of controlling an African pest rodent, the multimammate rat, causing major damage in maize production. An ecological population model is presented and used as a basis for...

The results of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)-vaccination (2000)

Leirs, Herwig

Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute and University Hospitals Leuven

The Bioeconomics of Controlling an African Rodent Pest Species

Anders Skonhoft, Nils Chr. Stenseth, Herwig Leirs, Harry P. Andreassen

The paper treats the economy of controlling an African pest rodent, the multimammate rat, causing major damage in maize production. An ecological population model is presented and used as a basis for...

The bioeconomics of controlling an African rodent pest species

SKONHOFT, ANDERS, LEIRS, HERWIG, ANDREASSEN, HARRY P., MULUNGU, LOTH S.A., STENSETH, NILS CHR.

The paper treats the economy of controlling an African pest rodent, the multimammate rat, causing major damage in maize production. An ecological population model is presented and used as a basis for...

Plague dynamics are driven by climate variation

Stenseth, Nils Chr., Samia, Noelle I., Viljugrein, Hildegunn, Kausrud, Kyrre Linné, Begon, Mike, Davis, Stephen, ...

The bacterium Yersinia pestis causes bubonic plague. In Central Asia, where human plague is still reported regularly, the bacterium is common in natural populations of great gerbils. By using field...

Population dynamics of small mammals in semi-arid regions: a comparative study of demographic variability in two rodent species.

Lima, Mauricio, Stenseth, Nils Chr, Leirs, Herwig, Jaksic, Fabián M

The seasonally determined demographic structure of two semi-arid rodents, both agricultural pest species (the leaf-eared mouse (Phyllotis darwini) in Chile and the multimammate mouse (Mastomys...

Plague: Past, Present, and Future

Stenseth, Nils Chr, Atshabar, Bakyt B, Begon, Mike, Belmain, Steven R, Bertherat, Eric, Carniel, Elisabeth, ...

The authors argue that plague should be taken much more seriously by the international health community.

First Detection of Mycobacteria in African Rodents and Insectivores, Using Stratified Pool Screening▿ †

Durnez, Lies, Eddyani, Miriam, Mgode, Georgies F., Katakweba, Abdul, Katholi, Charles R., Machang'u, Robert R., ...

With the rising number of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS in developing countries, the control of mycobacteria is of growing importance. Previous studies have shown that rodents...

Climatically driven synchrony of gerbil populations allows large-scale plague outbreaks

Linné Kausrud, Kyrre, Viljugrein, Hildegunn, Frigessi, Arnoldo, Begon, Mike, Davis, Stephen, Leirs, Herwig, ...

In central Asia, the great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus) is the main host for the bacterium Yersinia pestis, the cause of bubonic plague. In order to prevent plague outbreaks, monitoring of the great...

Occurrence of Free-Living Amoebae in Communities of Low and High Endemicity for Buruli Ulcer in Southern Benin▿

Eddyani, Miriam, De Jonckheere, Johan F., Durnez, Lies, Suykerbuyk, Patrick, Leirs, Herwig, Portaels, Françoise

Buruli ulcer or Mycobacterium ulcerans disease occurs mainly in areas in proximity to standing or slowly running freshwater, habitats in which free-living amoebae occur. For this reason, a possible...

Plague and the Human Flea, Tanzania

Laudisoit, Anne, Leirs, Herwig, Makundi, Rhodes H., Van Dongen, Stefan, Davis, Stephen, Neerinckx, Simon, ...

Pulex irritans fleas were more common in villages with high plague incidence.