Paul Tavernier

Publications (2)3.91 Total impact

• Article: Wildtool, a flexible, first-line risk assessment system for wildlife-borne pathogens

  Paul Tavernier, Jeroen Dewulf, Sophie Roelandt, Stefan Roels
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  ABSTRACT: We describe the prototype of an electronic tool for risk assessment with dynamic ranking of wildlife-borne pathogens in function of their need for surveillance. Data about pathogens, their hosts and occurrences are obtained from literature and are classified as qualitative scores under six main criteria with their sub-criteria, corresponding to the elements of a standard risk assessment. Pathogen-specific data are reviewed by experts. The information is processed per pathogen through an algorithm and through summing up of the values obtained by converting four-tiered qualitative sub-criteria scores to weighted five-tiered numerical values. For a consistent comparison between pathogens, the “unknown” sub-criteria scores are assigned a median value of 3, allowing preservation of the sub-criteria concerned and their weights for the risk assessment, but minimizing the effect of this score on the outcome. Irregular data availability is further accommodated by a different data processing for comprehensiveness and refinement requirements, which is realised by a respective first- and second-level ranking of pathogens, the latter using additional quantitative and qualitative data for the release assessment. Continuous data updates are necessary to reflect the current situation in the field. Output flexibility is implemented by the possibility to run queries based on the choice of a region, a specific target group susceptible to the pathogens and a set of weights for the sub-criteria. KeywordsWildlife pathogens–Risk assessment–Prioritization–Surveillance–Wildtool
  European Journal of Wildlife Research 04/2012; 57(5):1065-1075. · 1.31 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Alexandre Dobly

  Article: Tick-borne encephalitis virus seropositive dog detected in Belgium: screening of the canine population as sentinels for public health.

  Sophie Roelandt, Paul Heyman, Marina De Filette, Sirkka Vene, Yves Van der Stede, Ann Brigitte Caij, Paul Tavernier, Alexandre Dobly, Hendrik De Bosschere, Philip Vyt, Carole Meersschaert, Stefan Roels
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  ABSTRACT: Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is an important emerging tick-borne viral infection of humans and dogs in Europe. Currently, TBEV surveillance is virtually nonexistent in Belgium, which is considered nonendemic. A commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was adapted for the detection of TBEV-specific IgG-antibodies in canine sera. Serum samples of Belgian dogs were obtained from three diagnostic laboratories from Northern (n=688) and Southern Belgium (n=192). ELISA-positive and borderline samples were subjected to a TBEV rapid fluorescent focus inhibition confirmation test. One dog was confirmed TBEV seropositive. Several ELISA-positive and borderline sera underwent seroneutralization and hemagglutinin inhibition tests to rule out West Nile and Louping Ill viruses, but tested negative. The clinical history of the seropositive dog could not explain beyond doubt where and when TBEV infection was acquired. Further surveillance is necessary to determine whether this dog remains a single travel-related case or whether it represents an early warning of a possible future emergence of TBEV.
  Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.) 09/2011; 11(10):1371-6. · 2.61 Impact Factor