Final programme

Monday 24/3

Time Session (session chair/s)
09:00-17:00 Insecticide Resistance Training Course
18:00-20:00 Welcome Reception

Tuesday 25/3

Time Session (session chair/s)
08:00-08:45 Welcome coffee break
09:00-09:30 Welcome session
09:30-10:05 Keynote #1
Introduction by Olivier Briet
Nimmo, D. - Supporting innovation to encourage the development of novel approaches to enhance vector control
10:05-10:35 Ready for action: having the right tools and knowing how to deploy them (Olivier Briet / Ruth Müller)
Roiz, D. - The rising global economic costs of Aedes and Aedes-borne diseases
Ibáñez-Justicia, A. - 20 years containing the tiger: an achievement of policy, surveillance and mosquito control in the Netherlands
10:35-11:05 Coffee break
11:05-12:20 Ready for action: having the right tools and knowing how to deploy them (Olivier Briet / Ruth Müller)
O'Loughlin, S.M. - The potential of gene drive mosquitoes in the path towards malaria elimination
Flacio, E. - Application of sterile male of Aedes albopictus as an integrated control measure in Switzerland (2023-24)
Duve, P. - Modeling the effectiveness of different control strategies for West Nile virus in Germany
Vettore, S. - Effectiveness of larviciding against urban Aedes albopictus in a randomized controlled trial in Italy
Gewehr, S. - Prediction of larvae abundance using machine learning (ML) for wide-area mosquito control
12:20-13:50 Lunch break
13:50-15:20 Mosquito ecology and behaviour (Isabelle Kramer / Renke Lühken)
Nehls, H. - Flight activities of the West Nile virus vector mosquitoes of the Culex pipiens-complex in Germany, 2024
Perigot, L. - Acoustic attraction and hamonic convergence in the love serenades of Aedes albopictus
Hancock, R. - New insights on Aedes aegypti: extreme cryptic oviposition and sugar deprivation elevates biting performance
Leta, S. - Mosquito barcoding and molecular identification of blood meals in Ethiopian mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae)
Lemos-Silva, T. - Climate change and mosquito immunity: the impact of temperature and humidity on Anopheles defence responses
Vielma, S. - Mating status limits swarm formation in female Anopheles coluzzii mosquitoes
15:20-15:50 Coffee break
15:50-17:00 Poster Bazar
17:00-18:00 One Health: Empowering public health and veterinary health partnerships (Cedric Marsboom / Carlos Barcelo)
Miranda, M.A. - First collaborative tick surveillance in patients of the public health system of the Balearic Islands (Spain)
Marsboom C. - Ongoing work of VectorNet3: The third iteration of the European network for medical and veterinary entomology
Valavičiūtė-Pocienė, K. - WIMANET, a global initiative to study vector-borne disease in wildlife
Gobbo, F. - Results of integrated surveillance for West Nile and Usutu viruses in northeastern Italy (2022-2023)
18:00-19:30 Annual General Meeting (Sandra Gewehr)

Wednesday 26/3

Time Session (session chair/s)
09:00-09:30 Keynote #2
Introduction by Andreas Rose
Bellini, R. - The sterile insect technique against Aedes mosquitoes: An update
09:30-10:45 Expanding larval control with bacteria, barriers, and "bugs" (Andreas Rose / Anna Schneider)
Schäfer, M.L. - Field test of VectoBac GR small granules against floodwater mosquito larvae in Sweden
Becker, N. - Integrations of new approaches to control the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus in Europe
Kirrmann, T. - Optimal frequency of VectoMax FG applications for controlling Aedes albopictus in catch basins
Reuss, F. - Efficient predator = potential control agent? Aquatic insect predators against mosquito larvae
Jensen, P.K.M. - A Sustainable barrier against Aedes albopictus proliferation in storm/road drains
10:45-11:15 Coffee break
11:15-12:45 Beyond mosquitoes: Biting midges, ticks, and other vector control challenges (Francis Schaffner / Adwine Vanslembrouck)
Barceló, C. - The neglected biting midges: First evidence of human-biting behaviour of L. irritans on the Balearic Islands
Lundström, J.O. - The importance of long-term field studies for evaluating non-target effects of mosquito control
Drago, A. - Side effects of Aquatain AMF on non-target atmospheric air breathing insects
Osman, T. - How invasive plants influence mosquito-borne disease dynamics: evidence from Kenya
Da Re, D. - Advancing arthropod vector management through integrated models
Khanzadeh, F. - Biting and public health importance of black flies (Simuliidae) in north-western Iran
12:45-14:15 Lunch break
Excursions
14:15-16:15 Antwerp's Best Kept Secrets: A Personalized City Tour
13:45-18:15 From City to Wilderness: A Waterbus Adventure and Ecological Tour

Thursday 27/3

Time Session (session chair/s)
09:00-09:30 Keynote #3
Introduction by Sandra Gewehr
C.C. Calba - Increased risk of arbovirus es transmission in mainland France: how do we deal with this new paradigm?
09:30-10:15 Public health sector meets vector control operator (Sandra Gewehr / Javiera Rebolledo Romero)
Perros, N. - A novel methodology for assessing effectiveness and efficacy of mosquito control in the era of big data
L' Ambert, G. - Unprecedented circulation of the dengue virus in south-eastern France, 2024: a foreshadowing for Europe?
Karch, A. - The tiger mosquito in Paris: adapting vector control strategies in an urban megacity
10:15-10:45 Coffee break
10:45-12:15 Microbes, viruses, and symbionts: Hidden players in mosquito control (Leen Delang / Marco Brustolin)
Moretti, R. - Insights from open field pilot trials supporting the incompatible insect technique deployment
Leta, S. - Genetic diversity of Wolbachia and prophage WO in Ethiopian mosquitoes
De Lataillade, L. - Deciphering mosquito microbiome dynamics and trends to find targets for vector control
Mancini, M.V. - Harnessing Asaia bacteria for symbiotic control: insights from Aedes koreicus isolates
Berger, A. - Does Densovirus infection modulate Aedes vector competence for dengue and chikungunya viruses?
Körsten, C. - Co-infections with West Nile virus and Usutu virus promote West Nile virus replication in Culex pipiens
12:15-12:30 Group photo
12:30-14:00 Lunch break
14:00-15:30 Panel discussion: Adapting Vector Control Strategies Across Europe - Challenges and Opportunities (Wim van Bortel)
15:30-16:00 Coffee break
16:00-16:45 Insecticide resistance and its growing threat (Ruth Müller / Fatma Bursalı)
Mikov, O. - First detection of pyrethroid resistance in Culex pipiens and its confirmation in Aedes albopictus in Bulgaria
Vereecken, S. - Insecticide resistance in European Culex pipiens: Insights from Belgium and implications for vector control
Juache-Villagrana, A.E. - The role of metabolic pyrethroid resistance in shaping the vector competence of Aedes aegypti (L.) for DENV-2
16:45-16:50 Greetings from the new president of EMCA
16:50-17:30 Science slam (Leen Delang)
Shiao, S.H. - Uncovering dengue virus host factors: Paving the way for innovative antiviral strategies
Janssens, E. - RNAi-mediated suppression of CHIKV in Aedes mosquitoes as a novel insect vaccine concept
Leulmi, H. - Integrated vector control strategies against Aedes albopictus in Mirepoix, France
Figueroa, M.F. - Trace element contamination in the mosquito Aedes albopictus
19:00-02:30 Gala dinner

Friday 28/3

Time Session (session chair/s)
09:00-09:30 Keynote #4
Introduction by Cedric Marsboom
Vanwambeke, S. - Land systems governance and vector-borne diseases
09:30-10:30 Tech and Al in mosquito monitoring and identification (Spiros Mourelatos / Sofia Vielma)
Maire, T. - BuzzWatch: uncovering temporal patterns in mosquito behavior through continous monitoring over weeks
Chouin, S. - How the Internet of Things (IoT) can be used to better understand human sensitivity to mosquito nuisances
Augustin, J. - Using mosquito sounds and machine learning to identify mosquito species of medical importance
Lühken, R. - Using artificial intelligence to identify mosquito species based on wing images
10:30-11:00 Coffee break
11:00-12:15 Vector surveillance across landscapes (Javiera Rebolledo Romero / Elena Geiger)
Schaffner, F. - Surveys of Phlebotomine sand flies across their northem distribution range limit in Westem Europe, 2024
Bakran-Lebl, K. - Results from the first year of the nationwide West Nile virus monitoring in Austria, 2024
Cerny, J. - Systematic large-scale West Nile virus monitoring in Czechia
Rebolledo, J. - The contribution of citizen surveillance in the increasing detections of Aedes albopictus in Belgium
Sedda, L. - Development of adaptive mosquito surveillance design for malaria campaigns in Africa
12:15-12:45 Closing session
12:45-14:00 Lunch break