CystiHuman: A model of human neurocysticercosis

Bonnet, Gabrielle; Pizzitutti, Francesco; Gonzales-Gustavson, Eloy; Gabriël, Sarah; Pan, William; Lescano, Hector Hugo Garcia; Bustos, Javier A.; Vilchez, Percy; O’Neal, Seth E.

doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010118

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 76 publications

(42 reference statements)

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“…This study specifically focuses on information collected during the initial intake appointment, rather than longitudinal data obtained over the course of participant follow-up. While the study population includes participants described in previous cross-sectional studies conducted in 2006 and 2007 [4] and has been used to inform modeling for neurocysticercosis [12], this is the first publication to describe the baseline characteristics of the full clinical cohort.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical Characteristics of Neurocysticercosis in a Peruvian Population-Based Epilepsy Cohort: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study of Baseline Clinical Intake

Allen,

Moyano,

Wardle

et al. 2023

Pathogens

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(1) Background: This study presents the baseline characteristics of a community-level population of people with epilepsy (n = 1975) living in an area endemic for Taenia solium, the pathogen responsible for neurocysticercosis (NCC). (2) Methods: Participants were sequentially enrolled in a clinical cohort from 2007 to 2020 in Tumbes, Peru. All participants provided demographic and clinical history and received clinical evaluations. Diagnostics, including neuroimaging, cysticercosis serologies, and EEG, were obtained where possible. The data presented are from the cross-sectional baseline assessment of cohort participants. (3) Results: Approximately 38% of participants met the criteria for NCC. Those with NCC were more likely to have adult-onset epilepsy, as well as a longer duration of epilepsy, as compared to their counterparts without NCC. Overall, the data indicate a large treatment gap, with only approximately a quarter of the baseline population with prescriptions for anti-seizure medications. (4) Conclusions: These data reveal a high proportion of NCC among people living with epilepsy in these communities, with limited health care resources. At baseline, 74% of the population were not receiving anti-seizure treatments. Further analyses of these data will clarify the natural history of the disease for this population.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical Characteristics of Neurocysticercosis in a Peruvian Population-Based Epilepsy Cohort: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study of Baseline Clinical Intake

Allen,

Moyano,

Wardle

et al. 2023

Pathogens

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“…Human infection with multiple tapeworms is not allowed. Human cysticercosis [ 13 ] and related seizure disorders are not included in this model.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-local validated parametrization of an agent-based model of local-scale Taenia solium transmission in North-West Peru

Pizzitutti

Bonnet²,

Gonzales-Gustavson³

et al. 2022

PLoS ONE

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The pork tapeworm, Taenia solium, is the cause of a preventable zoonotic disease, cysticercosis, affecting both pigs and humans. Continued endemic transmission of T. solium is a major contributor of epilepsy and other neurologic morbidity, and the source of important economic losses, in many rural areas of developing countries. Simulation modelling can play an important role in aiding the design and evaluation of strategies to control or even eliminate transmission of the parasite. In this paper, we present a new agent based model of local-scale T. solium transmission and a new, non-local, approach to the model calibration to fit model outputs to observed human taeniasis and pig cysticercosis prevalence simultaneously for several endemic villages. The model fully describes all relevant aspects of T. solium transmission, including the processes of pig and human infection, the spatial distribution of human and pig populations, the production of pork for human consumption, and the movement of humans and pigs in and out in several endemic villages of the northwest of Peru. Despite the high level of uncertainty associated with the empirical measurements of epidemiological data associated with T. solium, the non-local calibrated model parametrization reproduces the observed prevalences with an acceptable precision. It does so not only for the villages used to calibrate the model, but also for villages not included in the calibration process. This important finding demonstrates that the model, including its calibrated parametrization, can be successfully transferred within an endemic region. This will enable future studies to inform the design and optimization of T. solium control interventions in villages where the calibration may be prevented by the limited amount of empirical data, expanding the possible applications to a wider range of settings compared to previous models.

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“…This model has the ability to represent key spatial and environmental features of transmission and simulate spatially targeted interventions, such as ring strategy [ 57 ]. Another model, CystiHuman, based on CystiAgent, was also developed to simulate human NCC and associated pathologies in the endemic community setting of Peru [ 58 ]. A deterministic, compartmental transmission model for pig and human transmission of T. solium (EPICYST) has also been developed [ 59 ].…”

Section: Taenia Solium : Three Areas Ripe For Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into the diagnosis, vaccines, and control of Taenia solium, a zoonotic, neglected parasite

Hossain,

Shabir,

Toye

et al. 2023

Parasites Vectors

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Taenia solium taeniasis/cysticercosis (TSTC) is a foodborne, zoonotic neglected tropical disease affecting predominately low- and middle-income countries. Humans are definitive hosts for T. solium, whereas pigs act as intermediate hosts. Taeniasis, i.e. intestinal infection with adult T. solium in the human host, occurs through ingestion of undercooked pork infected with the larval stage (porcine cysticercosis, PCC). Human cysticercosis occurs after humans ingest T. solium eggs, acting as accidental intermediate hosts. Migration of cysticerci to the human brain results in neurocysticercosis (NCC), manifesting in a variety of clinical symptoms, most notably epilepsy. NCC is the leading cause of acquired epilepsy cases in endemic areas. PCC results in reduced pork value because of condemnation or the risk of condemnation of the meat. Available serological diagnostic tests for porcine and human cysticercosis are characterized by low sensitivity and are not cost-effective. An effective vaccine for T. solium cysticercosis in pigs has been developed, although it is not yet commercially available in all endemic countries, and still no vaccine is available for use in humans. This primer highlights the recent development in the field of diagnostic tests and vaccine production and explores possible strategies for future control and eradication of T. solium. In the absence of highly specific diagnostic tests and human vaccines, treatment of infected pigs and tapeworm carriers and prevention of disease transmission remain the principal means to interrupt the zoonotic cycle of T. solium in endemic countries. Graphical abstract

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CystiHuman: A model of human neurocysticercosis

Cited by 6 publications

References 76 publications

Clinical Characteristics of Neurocysticercosis in a Peruvian Population-Based Epilepsy Cohort: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study of Baseline Clinical Intake

Clinical Characteristics of Neurocysticercosis in a Peruvian Population-Based Epilepsy Cohort: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study of Baseline Clinical Intake

Non-local validated parametrization of an agent-based model of local-scale Taenia solium transmission in North-West Peru

Insights into the diagnosis, vaccines, and control of Taenia solium, a zoonotic, neglected parasite

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