Publications by authors named "H Leirs"

Small rodents can cause problems on farms such as infrastructure damage, crop losses or pathogen transfer. The latter threatens humans and livestock alike. Frequent contacts between wild rodents and livestock favour pathogen transfer and it is therefore important to understand the movement patterns of small mammals in order to develop strategies to prevent damage and health issues.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Inter- and transdisciplinary research (ITDR) is increasingly promoted to address "wicked problems", particularly in health sectors adopting approaches like Ecohealth. Our Ecohealth-inspired project on rodent-borne diseases, initiated just before the COVID-19 pandemic, provided an opportunity to evaluate ITDR implementation.

Methods: We employed a recently developed semi-quantitative evaluation method to measure our project's success in achieving ITDR and analyzed factors influencing this achievement.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

is a vector of , the causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis. This study assessed the abundance and distribution of in different habitats and human houses situated at varying distances from hyrax (reservoir host) dwellings, in Wolaita Zone, southern Ethiopia. Sandflies were collected from January 2020 to December 2021 using CDC light traps, sticky paper traps, and locally made emergence traps.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Crop foraging by primates, particularly olive baboons and grivet monkeys, poses significant economic challenges to subsistence farmers in southern Ethiopia, especially near protected areas, leading to substantial maize damage.* -
  • The study, conducted over 12 months with a team of experts and farmers, found that maize damage was worse in protected fields (43.1% loss) compared to unprotected fields (31.4%), with the highest damage occurring near the forest edge.* -
  • Despite attempts to deter primates with wire mesh fencing and human guarding, the measures were largely ineffective, emphasizing the need for improved strategies to resolve human-wildlife conflict and protect both farmers' livelihoods and primate conservation.*
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Despite worldwide efforts to eradicate malaria over the past century, the disease remains a significant challenge in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today. Climate change is even anticipated to worsen the situation in areas with higher altitudes and vulnerable populations. This study in Haut-Katanga, a highland region, aims to evaluate the effectiveness of past control measures and to explore the impact of climate change on the region's distinct seasonal malaria pattern throughout the last century.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF