title: Designing a Minimal Intervention Strategy to Control Taenia solium.
abstract: Neurocysticercosis is an important cause of epilepsy in many developing countries. The disease is a zoonosis caused by the cestode parasite Taenia solium. Many potential intervention strategies are available, however none has been able to be implemented and sustained. Here we predict the impact of some T. solium interventions that could be applied to prevent transmission through pigs, the parasite's natural animal intermediate host. These include minimal intervention strategies that are predicted to be effective and likely to be feasible. Logical models are presented which reflect changes in the risk that age cohorts of animals have for their potential to transmit T. solium. Interventions that include a combined application of vaccination, plus chemotherapy in young animals, are the most effective.
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, Veterinary Clinical Centre,250 Princes Highway, Werribee, Victoria 3030, Australia. Electronic address: marshall@unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Marshall W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Lightowlers
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, Veterinary Clinical Centre,250 Princes Highway, Werribee, Victoria 3030, Australia; Initiative for Neglected Animal Diseases (INAND), Whitby Manor Office Estate,14th Road, Midrand, South Africa.
authors.forename: Meritxell
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Donadeu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D008954:Models, Biological; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D041201:Taenia solium