# Development and validation of an agent-based model to promote evidence-based control of Taenia solium cysticercosis

> **NIH NIH R01** · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $654,925

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Taenia solium, the pork tapeworm, is a leading cause of acquired epilepsy in low and middle income countries.
Endemic transmission occurs primarily in rural areas where pigs are allowed to roam freely and consume human
feces. Control and/or elimination of T. solium transmission is possible through application of anti-parasitic
treatment to human tapeworm carriers or pigs, vaccination of pigs, or other social-behavioral interventions (e.g.,
sanitation, corralling). The critical question that policy-makers now face is which intervention strategies should
be recommended for different endemic settings – specifically, what intervention combinations, frequencies,
durations, and target populations are optimal for achieving a given control outcome? Infectious disease models
are excellent tools for answering these questions, as they can be deployed to test a wide range of strategies in
a variety of settings prior to investing massive resources in prospective trials. While prior models for T. solium
transmission have been previously developed, no existing model has been validated with data from prospective
trials, and none incorporate a spatial framework that can account for clustered transmission patterns observed
in endemic areas. These limitations have severely limited the utility of prior models. This proposal specifically
addresses these limitations to ensure that the delivered model can be directly applied to improve control and
elimination for T. solium.
The objective of the proposed research is to develop a definitive T. solium simulation model called CystiMASON,
which will build on our group’s prior modeling experience (CystiSim and CystiAgent models), and address the
shortcomings of previous T. solium models. To achieve this goal, we propose a series of field and laboratory
experiments that will define environmental and biological parameters critical to CystiMASON accuracy (Aim 1).
These experiments will increase the precision of model parameters and reduce uncertainty in model outcomes.
As data from these studies are generated, they will be integrated into the successive version of CystiMASON,
which will be calibrated and validated using a repository of data from prospective trials conducted in Peru (Aim
2). Finally, we will use data available from prospective trials conducted in Zambia to validate CystiMASON to a
sub-Saharan African setting and compare the accuracy of CyistMASON in this endemic setting with other
available models (Aim 3). After the completion of this research, the final CystiMASON model will be a key
resource for policy-makers who seek to evaluate strategies for the control or elimination of cysticercosis in Latin
America and sub-Saharan Africa.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10448440
- **Project number:** 5R01AI141554-04
- **Recipient organization:** OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Seth E O'Neal
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $654,925
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-07-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10448440

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10448440, Development and validation of an agent-based model to promote evidence-based control of Taenia solium cysticercosis (5R01AI141554-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10448440. Licensed CC0.

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