Silvia Alonso Alvarez
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Silvia is a lecturer in veterinary public health. Her research interest include the epidemiology of zoonoses and specially vector-borne diseases. She has also an interest in animal and human health in developing countries.
Biography
I graduated in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Leon, Spain, in 2001. I attended the last year of my studies in Bologna, Italy, as an Erasmus fellow. After graduation I started a PhD at the Department of Animal Pathology and Veterinary Public Health of the Veterinary School of Bologna, which I completed in 2005. I was involved in different research projects focused on the epidemiology of foodborne diseases and the biology of foodborne pathogens. I gained experience in microbiology and diagnostic methods and spent 3 months at the E. coli Reference Laboratory in Spain where I was trained in molecular analysis techniques. In the meantime I also worked as a consultant for a major food industry in Italy. After my PhD I worked as research fellow at the same Department for one year, while attending part-time an MSc in Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, which I completed in 2007. My Msc thesis focused in the use of mathematical modelling to evaluate the effects of farming density in the spread and control of brucellosis in Mongolia. I joined the RVC at the beginning of 2008 as a Lecturer in Veterinary Public Health.
Research
My research interests focus in the epidemiology of infectious diseases, primarily zoonoses. I am currently working on vector borne diseases. I am also interested in the ecological approach to diseases, looking at the interaction between wildlife, domestic animals and humans. I have a particular interest in the epidemiology of zoonoses in developing countries and the One-Health approach.
Teaching
I currently teach veterinary public health to undergraduate students, with a focus in food production and hygiene. I calso ollaborate in postgraduate teaching through the RVC Distance Learning programmes. Other teaching includes farm animal health and outbreak investigation.
Selected Publications
ALONSO S, MORA A, BLANCO M, BLANCO JE, DHABI G, FERREIRO MT, LOPEZ C, ALBERGHINI L, ALBONETTI S, ECHEITA A, BLANCO J, TREVISANI M. Faecal carriage of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and carcass contamination in cattle at slaughter in north Italy. Phage types, virulence genes and PFGE patterns. (2007) . International Microbiology; 10:109-116
ALBONETTI S., TREVISANI M., ALONSO S. and ROSMINI R. Detection of Escherichia coli serotype O157 in beef carcasses and faecal material (2004). . Veterinary Research Communications. 28: 249-251