38th VEEC symposium 'Crossing boundaries: New perspectives on animal diseases'

In short

Activity

26 October 2026
9.30 - 16.00 h
Universiteitsbibliotheek Utrecht

Epidemiology is often shaped within boundaries, between species, production systems, countries, and perspectives, but how fixed are these divisions in reality? By crossing these boundaries, the VEEC symposium explores both the differences and commonalities, using two infectious diseases as a lens. In doing so, it challenges us to reconsider how we compare, interpret, and understand diseases across systems.

Programme

Morning programme
Time	Information
9.30 - 10.00 h	Registration and coffee
10.00 - 10.15 h	Opening of the symposium
10.15 - 11.00 h	Keynote lecture: “Traveling with a host - Zoonotic tapeworms crossing borders” - Dr. Marieke Opsteegh (RIVM)
11.00 - 11.30 h	Coffee break, poster viewing
11.30 - 12.15 h	Keynote lecture: “TB - bugs without borders” - Dr. Ad Koets (WBVR)
12.15 - 13.30 h	Lunch break, poster viewing
12.45 - 13.30 h	General annual meeting VEEC (members only)

Morning programme

Time
9.30 - 10.00 h
Information
Registration and coffee
Time
10.00 - 10.15 h
Information
Opening of the symposium
Time
10.15 - 11.00 h
Information
Keynote lecture: “Traveling with a host - Zoonotic tapeworms crossing borders” - Dr. Marieke Opsteegh (RIVM)
Time
11.00 - 11.30 h
Information
Coffee break, poster viewing
Time
11.30 - 12.15 h
Information
Keynote lecture: “TB - bugs without borders” - Dr. Ad Koets (WBVR)
Time
12.15 - 13.30 h
Information
Lunch break, poster viewing
Time
12.45 - 13.30 h
Information
General annual meeting VEEC (members only)

Afternoon programme
Time	Information
13.30 - 14.30 h	Talks (4x): “Evaluating Vaccination Strategies Against Antigenically Drifting Swine Influenza A Virus in Farrow-to-Finish Herds: An Agent-Based Modeling Study” - Jerrold Tubay (WU-IDE) “Crossed the species barrier? Fox parvovirus emergence in pigs” - Tijs Tobias (GD) “The landscape of small-scale and backyard poultry at the wildlife-poultry–human interface in the Netherlands” – Jolyn Oosters (UU) “The economics of keeping bovine tuberculosis under control: a case study from Uruguay" - Cyntia Moreira Olmos (WU-BEC)
14.30 - 15.00 h	Coffee break
15.00 - 15.45 h	Talks (3x): “African Swine Fever transmission in Eastern Europe” - Gert-Jan Boender (WBVR) “Pathogens Without Boundaries: A Farm-to-Fork Industry Perspective on Epidemiology” - Martijn Bouwknegt (Vion) “Antimicrobial Resistance in Suriname” - Carlotte Rozemond (RIVM)
15.45 h	Closing of the symposium followed by reception

Afternoon programme

Time
13.30 - 14.30 h
Information
Talks (4x):
“Evaluating Vaccination Strategies Against Antigenically Drifting Swine Influenza A Virus in Farrow-to-Finish Herds: An Agent-Based Modeling Study” - Jerrold Tubay (WU-IDE)
“Crossed the species barrier? Fox parvovirus emergence in pigs” - Tijs Tobias (GD)
“The landscape of small-scale and backyard poultry at the wildlife-poultry–human interface in the Netherlands” – Jolyn Oosters (UU)
“The economics of keeping bovine tuberculosis under control: a case study from Uruguay" - Cyntia Moreira Olmos (WU-BEC)
Time
14.30 - 15.00 h
Information
Coffee break
Time
15.00 - 15.45 h
Information
Talks (3x):
“African Swine Fever transmission in Eastern Europe” - Gert-Jan Boender (WBVR)
“Pathogens Without Boundaries: A Farm-to-Fork Industry Perspective on Epidemiology” - Martijn Bouwknegt (Vion)
“Antimicrobial Resistance in Suriname” - Carlotte Rozemond (RIVM)
Time
15.45 h
Information
Closing of the symposium followed by reception