cystiSim - an agent-based model for Taenia solium transmission and control

TY - ABST

T1 - cystiSim - an agent-based model for Taenia solium transmission and control

AU - Braae, Uffe Christian

AU - Devleesschauwer, Brecht

AU - Gabriël, Sarah

AU - Dorny, Pierre

AU - Speybroeck, Niko

AU - Magnussen, Pascal

AU - Johansen, Maria Vang

PY - 2015/11/3

Y1 - 2015/11/3

N2 - Taenia solium taeniosis/cysticercosis was declared eradicable by the International Task Force for Disease Eradication in 1993, but remains a neglected zoonosis due to limited information about its transmission and validation of intervention tools. To address this gap, we developed cystiSim, an agent-based model for T. solium transmission and control. The model was developed in R and is publicly available as an R package (https://github.com/brechtdv/cystiSim/). The model description adheres to the Overview, Design concepts, and Details (ODD) protocol. The model consists of two entities: pigs and humans. Pigs acquire cysticercosis through the environment or by direct contact with a tapeworm carrier's faeces, leading to light or high infection intensities, respectively. Humans acquire taeniosis from slaughtered pigs proportional to their infection intensity. The model allows evaluation of three interventions measures or combinations hereof: human mass drug administration (MDA), pig MDA, and pig vaccination. From the modelled simulations, cystiSim suggests that the combination of pig MDA and vaccination may have promising results. However, pig MDA as a standalone tool also provides a significant effect in reduction of T. solium prevalence. Human MDA is the least effective intervention measure. In comparison with an existing mathematical model for T. solium transmission, cystiSim also includes parasite maturation, host immunity, and environmental contamination. Adding these key biological parameters to the model resulted in new insights in the potential effect of intervention measures.

AB - Taenia solium taeniosis/cysticercosis was declared eradicable by the International Task Force for Disease Eradication in 1993, but remains a neglected zoonosis due to limited information about its transmission and validation of intervention tools. To address this gap, we developed cystiSim, an agent-based model for T. solium transmission and control. The model was developed in R and is publicly available as an R package (https://github.com/brechtdv/cystiSim/). The model description adheres to the Overview, Design concepts, and Details (ODD) protocol. The model consists of two entities: pigs and humans. Pigs acquire cysticercosis through the environment or by direct contact with a tapeworm carrier's faeces, leading to light or high infection intensities, respectively. Humans acquire taeniosis from slaughtered pigs proportional to their infection intensity. The model allows evaluation of three interventions measures or combinations hereof: human mass drug administration (MDA), pig MDA, and pig vaccination. From the modelled simulations, cystiSim suggests that the combination of pig MDA and vaccination may have promising results. However, pig MDA as a standalone tool also provides a significant effect in reduction of T. solium prevalence. Human MDA is the least effective intervention measure. In comparison with an existing mathematical model for T. solium transmission, cystiSim also includes parasite maturation, host immunity, and environmental contamination. Adding these key biological parameters to the model resulted in new insights in the potential effect of intervention measures.

M3 - Conference abstract for conference

T2 - 1st CYSTINET International Conference

Y2 - 3 November 2015 through 4 November 2015

ER -