The Animal and Zoonotic Disease Epidemiology Joint Research Unit (UMR0346 – EPIA) has been an INRAE-VetAgro Sup UMR since January 1, 2017. It studies the epidemiology of infectious diseases in animal populations (including some transmissible to humans), in relation to ecological and evolutionary processes, and in the context of global change.

The unit is located on two sites, one on the INRAE Center in Theix near Clermont-Ferrand, the other on the veterinary campus of VetAgro Sup in Marcy l’Étoile near Lyon. It is composed of 46 people, including 33 tenured staff, with skills in epidemiology, statistical and dynamic modeling, computer science, ecology, evolutionary and genomics and molecular biology. It includes a National Platform for Animal Health Epidemiological Surveillance (ESA Platform) which provides methodological and operational support to the competent State services and to other managers of surveillance systems for the design, deployment, coordination, promotion and the evaluation of the sanitary and biological monitoring systems of the territory. The originality of the unit is to be able to cross epidemiology, biology and evolution in an integrated approach.

The UMR’s research focuses on pathogens and diseases of interest in terms of animal health or public health (zoonoses). They concern both directly transmitted diseases (avian flu, Q fever, leptospirosis, etc.) and vector-borne diseases (Lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis, granulocytic anaplasmosis, bluetongue, African horse sickness, etc.). The UMR also has expertise in bacterial resistance to antibiotics. The network of scientific collaborations extends to the regional level (Mathematics Laboratory of the Blaise Pascal University, TERANA…), national (CIRAD, ANSES, Institut Pasteur…) and international (Mahidol University in Thailand, Wageningen University in the Netherlands, Uppsala University in Sweden…). The EPIA unit is involved in two European projects: MOOD (MOnitoring Outbreaks for Disease surveillance in a data science context) and BCOMING (Biodiversity Conservation to Mitigate the Risks of Emerging Infectious Diseases).

Vecteurs : Tiques (Ixodes ricinus, Rhipicepalus sanguineus, Dermacentor sp., Hyalomma marginatum) ; Phlébotomes

Bactéries : Borrelia, Coxiella, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia,

Protozoaires : Babesia, Theileria, Cytauxzoon, Hepatozoon, Leishmania

Virus : Hantavirus

• Lebert, I., Bord, S., Saint-Andrieux, C., Cassar, E., Gasqui, P., Beugnet, F., Chalvet-Monfray, K., Vanwambeke, S. O., Vourc’h, G., & René-Martellet, M. (2022). Habitat suitability map of Ixodes ricinus tick in France using multi-criteria analysis. Geospatial Health, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/gh.2022.1058
• Bord S., Dernat S., Ouillon L., René-Martellet M., Vourc’h G., Lesens O., Forestier C., Lebert I. Tick ecology and Lyme borreliosis prevention: a regional survey of pharmacists’ knowledge in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases, 2022, 13 (3), pp.101932. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.101932.
• Hossain Sk I., de Goër de Herve J., Hassan Md S., Martineau D., Petrosyan E., Corbin V., Beytout J., Lebert I., Durand J., Carravieri I., Brun-Jacob A., Frey-Klett P., Baux E., Cazorla C., Eldin C., Hansmann Y., Patrat-Delon S., Prazuck T., Raffetin A., Tattevin P., Vourc’h G., Lesens O. Exploring convolutional neural networks with transfer learning for diagnosing Lyme disease from skin lesion images. Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine. 2022 Vol. 215 Pages 106624. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmpb.2022.106624
• Rocafort-Ferrer G., Leblond A., Joulié A., René-Martellet M., Sandoz A., Poux V., Pradier S., Barry S., Vial L., Legrand L. Molecular assessment of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi prevalence in horses and ticks on horses in southeastern France. Parasitology Research, Springer Verlag (Germany), 2022, 121 (3), pp.999-1008. ⟨10.1007/s00436-022-07441-7⟩.
• Wongnak P., Bord S., Donnet S., Hoch T., Beugnet F., Chalvet-Monfray, K. A hierarchical Bayesian approach for incorporating expert opinions into parametric survival models: a case study of female Ixodes ricinus ticks exposed to various temperature and relative humidity conditions. Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, 2022, 464, pp.109821. ⟨10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109821⟩.
• Wongnak P., Bord S., Jacquot M., Agoulon A., Beugnet F., Bournez L., Cèbe N., Chevalier A., Cosson J.F., Dambrine N., Hoch T., Huard F., Korboulewsky N., Lebert I., Madouasse A., Mårel A., Moutailler S., Plantard O., Pollet T., Poux V., René‑Martellet M., Vayssier‑Taussat M., Verheyden H., Vourc’h G., Chalvet‑Monfray K. Meteorological and climatic variables predict the phenology of Ixodes ricinus nymphs activity in France, accounting for habitat heterogeneity. Scientific Reports, Nature Publishing Group, 2022, 12 (1), ⟨10.1038/s41598-022-11479-z⟩.
• Lejal E., Chiquet J., Aubert J., Robin S., Estrada-Peña A., Rue O., Midoux C., Mariadassou M., Bailly X., Cougoul A., Gasqui P., Cosson J. F., Chalvet-Monfray K., Vayssier-Taussat M. Pollet T. Temporal patterns in Ixodes ricinus microbial communities: an insight into tick-borne microbe interactions. Microbiome, BioMed Central, 2021, 9 (1), pp.153. ⟨10.1186/s40168-021-01051-8⟩.
• Plantard O., Hoch T., Daveu R., Rispe C., Stachurski F., Boué F., Poux V., Cebe N., Verheyden H., René-Martellet M., Chalvet-Monfray K., Cafiso A., Olivieri E., Moutailler S., Pollet T., Agoulon A. Where to find questing Ixodes frontalis ticks? Under bamboo bushes!. Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases, 2021, 12 (2), pp.101625. ⟨10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101625⟩.
• Duron O., Sidi-Boumedine K., Rousset E., Moutailler S., Jourdain E. The importance of ticks in Q fever transmission: what has (and has not) been demonstrated? Trends in Parasitology 2015, 31(11): 536–552.
• Hill, S.C., de Souza, R., Thézé, J., Claro, I., Aguiar, R.S., Abade, L., Santos, F.C.P., Cunha, M.S., Nogueira, J.S., Salles, F.C.S., Rocco, I.M., Maeda, A.Y., Vasami, F.G.S., du Plessis, L., Silveira, P.P., de Jesus, J.G., Quick, J., Fernandes, N.C.C.A., Guerra, J.M., Réssio, R.A., Giovanetti, M., Alcantara, L.C.J., Cirqueira, C.S., Díaz-Delgado, J., Macedo, F.L.L., do Carmo Timenetsky, M.S.T., de Paula, R., Spinola, R., de Deus, J.T., Mucci, L.F., Tubaki, R.M., de Menezes, R.M.T., Ramos, P.L., de Abreu, A.L., Cruz, L.N., Loman, N., Dellicour, S., Pybus, O.G., Sabino, E.C., Faria, N.R., 2020. Genomic surveillance of yellow fever virus epizootic in São Paulo, Brazil, 2016 – 2018. PLoS Pathog 16(8), e1008699. https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PPAT.1008699

• surveillance
• maladies vectorielles
• modélisation
• épidémiologie
• génomique