Vesicular Stomatitis (VS)
Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) is a livestock disease that emerges in the US approximately every 10 years. We have teamed up with US Department of Agriculture scientists across the US to address the complex transdisciplinary problem of predicting where and when this disease will occur in the US. In the BDMI group, we focus on the ecological processes, geospatial processing and eco-informatics, and the systems integration to tie the project together.
To learn more about the VS team, check out our StoryMap here.
Multiscale Reseach
One source of complexity for predictive disease ecology is the multiple scales over which a disease occurs. Since environmental drivers have varying effects on different spatial scales, we tailor our analyses to the different spatial scales. Investigation of the environmental drivers at any scale helps define priority areas for research, monitoring, and mitigation efforts.
Landscape
At the landscape scale, landscape properties such as land use and proximity to surface water dictate the spread of VS. We are investigating the spatiotemporal dynamics of the disease as a function of these properties at different landscapes in the western US.
Regional
Regional-scale analyses include comparing the general timing of VS onset during the year as a function of latitude and the sequence of environmental conditions throughout a year leading to higher probabilities of VS incidence.
Continental
Development of predictive models at a continental-scale can help define the spatial variability of VS and provide insight into impacts of broad-scale modifications to the environment (i.e. global change).
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