报告人简介: Dr Cheke is a professor of Tropical Zoology, Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich. He has extensive experience of tropical ecology, especially in Africa, involving research and development programmes in tropical agriculture especially pest control, tropical medicine, parasitology and wildlife management.  He is a population ecologist, entomologist and ornithologist, a specialist on the biology and control of onchocerciasis vectors, a specialist on biology and control of Red-billed Quelea birds. Has published more than 180 scientific papers and articles in the international scientific press, has co-written two books and has co-edited three sets of conference proceedings, two published as books the other in journal form and has edited one book.
报告内容：Following an introduction to the human parasitic disease river blindness (onchocerciasis) and its blackfly vectors, an accepted idea that there are different strains of the causative parasite in forest and savanna habitats will be explained. This idea will be questioned in the light of the results of a re-analysis of data on blindness rates according to habitat. A differential equation model of the transmission of the disease will then be described and it will be shown how this can help control planning. Finally, an individual-based model will be introduced that takes account of how differences in host exposure to vectors can affect the dynamics of transmission.