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SUMMARY:Optimal control of epidemics - Martin Vyska (Gilligan lab)
DTSTART:20140501T150000Z
DTEND:20140501T152500Z
UID:TALK51399@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Megan Cooper
DESCRIPTION:The four main methods of controlling plant pathogens are usage
  of genetically resistant cultivar\, cultural control\, biological control
  and the deployment of pesticide/fungicide. Cultural control\, that is rem
 oval of infectious hosts\, is commonly used when the other methods are not
  available\, in particular in developing nations or in horticulture. The s
 tandard practice is then roguing - whenever infectious host is discovered\
 , it is removed from the population. However\, because of asymptomatic inf
 ections this is not always effective. In the case of many pathogens such a
 s the bacterium Xanthomonas Axonopodis\, significant improvement can be ac
 hieved by proactive control. Whenever an infectious host is identified\, i
 t is removed and with it all the hosts within the so called culling radius
 . Computational models are then used to determine the optimal culling radi
 us. This type of control is very effective for pathogens with short-range 
 dispersal but less effective in the case of pathogens with a very long-ran
 ge dispersal such as Chalara fraxiena. This is because when the inoculum c
 an travel long distances the culling radius would have to be unfeasibly la
 rge to stop the spread of the epidemic. In this talk I will discuss severa
 l techniques of modelling the spread of secondary infection and show how r
 eduction of the host density\, also known as thinning\, can be used in the
  management of pathogens with long-range dispersal patterns.
LOCATION:Department of Plant Sciences\, Large Lecture Theatre
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