EuFMD OS20

1. MODELLING VIRTUAL TRAINING METHODS TO ENHANCE
ENTOMOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE FOR RIFT VALLEY FEVER AND
OTHER MOSQUITO-BORNE ARBOVIROSES IN LIBYA:
A TRANSFERABLE APPROACH
C. Albanello1, M. Goffredo1, S. Baiomi2, AS Dayhum2, F. Rosso, B. Alessandrini1
1Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale” – Teramo, Italy
2European Commission for the control of food-and-mouth disease – FAO Rome, Italy
Introduction
Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a vector-borne disease transmitted by a broad spectrum of mosquito species, especially
Aedes and Culex genus, to animals (domestic and wild ruminants and camels) and humans. RVF may cause
significant losses for the livestock sector and have serious public health implications. Endemic in most of the sub-
Saharan countries and in the Arabian peninsula, it appeared in Libya on 12 December 2019, reporting several
outbreaks (Figure 1).
In the framework of the "HOLD-FAST" strategy, EuFMD – with the involvement of the Libyan NCAH, identified IZSAM
- main promoter of the network ERFAN, which enhances veterinary research in Africa - as a reliable partner to cope
with the emerging training needs. A pilot and innovative blended training course was designed, with a scalable
approach for other Countries with similar needs.
Based on interactive webinars (Figure 2), in-field and project work activities, its
challenge was to recreate at distance laboratory training and mentoring methods to
build veterinarians’ capacities to integrate specific and transversal skills for a quality
entomological surveillance: a new format designed to overcome the class and
laboratory “borders”, providing a fit-for-the-purpose, personalised and effective
learning environment, and optimising time and resources (Figures 3, 4).
Discussion
This project has designed a scalable model able to identify and
address very target-specific learning objectives, in the past
mainly satisfied through medium and long-lasting study visits in
equipped laboratories. It opens new scenarios to provide
laboratory researchers with concrete opportunities to immerge
themselves into innovative and technology-based settings,
overcoming traditional barriers. It may be adapted to any
training context in which learners are expected to build their
capacities in a lab environment.
Results
The virtual learning course, organised in a series of webinars, was aimed at training experts from Libyan
research institutes and universities on the species of mosquitoes, their epidemiological role in the
transmission of the various arboviruses and on the methods for collecting and analysing samples.
A key element was the use of HD Stereomicroscope in videoconferencing: learners were able to apply the
identification techniques of the species of vectors and, through synchronous interaction tools (chat, Q&A,
instant polls), and their progresses were continuously monitored (Figure 5). The currently ongoing in-field
project work is aimed at implementing entomological surveillance in risk locations, thanks to the constant
backstop support of experts from IZSAM and EuFMD (Figure 6). A final follow-up will evaluate the learning
outcomes and put the basis for an impact assessment.
Figure 3. The methodological approach adopted: a scalable and transferable model
Figure 2. The learning space environment and some of the actors of the virtual training
Figure 1. RVF Disease distribution map - OIE WAHIS Reporting period July-December 2019
Figure 6. Images from the in-field activity carried out in Libya (Source: Dr Hanan Aghila, Libyan NCDC)
Acknowledgments
Participants: Abdulkim Abdulla Elmaghrbi - University of Tripoli, Mohamed Ali Ben Gheshir - Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Ahmed Elsheh - NCAH, Hanan Aghila – NCDC.
Enhancing Research for Africa Network – ERFAN: Massimo Scacchia.
FAO/EuFMD: Abdenacer Bakkouri, Karima Ouali, Silvia Epps, Filippo Pedulla.
IZSAM: Entomology Unit (Silvio d'Alessio, Matteo De Ascentis, Francesca Di Nicola, Michela Quaglia, Adriana Santilli), Training and Project management Unit (Ombretta Pediconi), Diagnosis and surveillance of exotic
diseases Unit (Giammario Cosseddu, Federica Monaco), Epidemiology Unit (Paolo Calistri), Statistics and GIS Unit (Annamaria Conte).
Figure 4. Entomological
surveillance: a recursive
approach experimented by
students during virtual classes
and in-field activities
Figure 5. Images
from the virtual
classes, with the use
of HD
stereomicroscope
and interaction tools
to check and evaluate
the acquired skills
(Source: IZSAM)
Materials and methods
“Virtual Learning RVF and other
Mosquito-borne arboviroses:
entomological surveillance” is an
innovative learning path delivered in
2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic.