Scroll Top

New publication in PLOS Computational Biology

Together with colleagues from Hei-Planet, Lund University, and Umeå University, Julian Heidecke recently published the paper "Uncovering temperature sensitivity of West Nile virus (WNV) transmission: Novel computational approaches to mosquito-pathogen trait responses" in PLOS Computational Biology.

In this study, Julian et al. investigated how temperature affects the transmission of WNV by six mosquito species. This knowledge is crucial for predicting the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, especially in the face of climate change. Large experimental laboratory datasets to identify optimal temperatures for WNV transmission have been analyzed. The results show that the best WNV transmission temperature is around 24°C with relatively little differences between mosquito species. Different configurations of mathematical transmission models cause variations in this optimal temperature, highlighting the importance of careful model selection. Moreover, measurements from different experiments cause further variability which indicates that there could be significant intra-species variation in temperature sensitivity. The statistical approach also allowed to identify the data needs that would decrease the uncertainty of these estimates

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012866

Recent posts
Clear Filters

Joacim Rocklöv, Director of the Hei-planet Team, along with his colleagues, has published a new article exploring the use of…

Location: Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), Heidelberg University. Date: Tuesday 9 December 2025, 10:30 – 17:00. SWIM is an informal…

On June 26, 2025, the Hei-Planet team came together for a retreat- an occasion for reflection, connection, and a touch…

Hei-Planet group leader, Dr. Marina Treskova, together with the Director of the Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Prof. Till Bärnighausen; the HeiPlanet Director, Prof. Dr. Joacim Rocklöv; and Dr. Cássia Rocha Pompeu published the paper “From heatwaves to food systems: epidemiologists addressing climate challenges” in International Journal of Epidemiology.