Year 2 activities

Sustainable collaborations will be maintained, by regular meetings, the Action website, as well as STSM and a training school.

Year 2 specific objectives

Working Group 1

Overal objectives

The main objective of this WG is to characterise the epidemiology of Taenia spp. within and outside Europe.

Specific objectives will focus on:

• Studying the transmission dynamics of Taenia spp.;
• Assessing the economic and health burden of Taenia spp.;
• Proposing efficient taeniosis/cysticercosis surveillance systems

Year 2 specific objectives, activities and deliverables

• Objective 1: Summarize current knowledge on bovine cysticercosis in Europe
  • Activity 1.1: Carry out a systematic review on bovine CC
    • Deliverable 1.1: Systematic review document
• Objective 2: Summarize local knowledge on taeniosis/cysticercosis epidemiology
  • Activity 2.1: Continue country studies, coordinated by region coordinator
    • Deliverable 2.1.1: Country study reports
    • Deliverable 2.1.2: Systematic reviews of online data, per CYSTINET region
    • Deliverable 2.1.3: Summary of offline data received
    • Deliverable 2.1.4: Country/region study publications
• Objective 3: Review existing Taenia spp. transmission models
  • Activity 3.1: Carry out a review on existing Taenia spp transmission models
    • Deliverable 3.1: Systematic review document
• Objective 4: Improve the T. solium transmission model and develop a T. saginata transmission model
  • Activity 4.1: Improve the T. solium disease transmission model (based on results obj 3)
    • Deliverable 4.1: Improved Taenia solium transmission model
  • Activity 4.2: Develop the T. saginata diseases transmission model, based on T. solium model
    • Deliverable 4.2: Taenia saginata transmission model
• Objective 5: Initiate case studies on Taenia saginata health and economic impact
  • Activity 5.1: Case studies on Taenia saginata economic impact
  • Activity 5.2: Case studies on Taenia saginata health impact
    • Deliverable 5.1: Taenia saginata burden assessments
• Objective 6: Extend the network of stakeholders involved in Taenia spp epidemiological research, with a focus on inclusiveness countries
  • Activity 6.1: Actively seek to involve other researchers in the epidemiology field (focus on inclusiveness countries)
    • Deliverable 6.1: Increased nr of WG1 members, with a focus on inclusiveness countries

Working Group 2

Overal objectives

The main objectives of this WG are to:

• Define more harmonised NCC case management procedures (evidence based) and endorse a reporting system for NCC cases within the European Union;
• Examine treatment failure for taeniosis;
• Look into optimisation, large-scale validation, inter-laboratory ring-trials and commercialisation of existing (serological) diagnostic tests for Taenia spp. and tackle in an innovative way the problem of high cost and/or need for expensive laboratory equipment for most techniques, (which makes them non-applicable in endemic areas), in collaboration with private diagnostic companies;
• Carry out fundamental analyses of the parasite (at the genomic, transcriptomic, and protein level). The latter holds prime opportunities for exchange of young researchers;
• Look into optimisation of control tools (such as treatment of animal cysticercosis, treatment/vaccine development)

Year 2 specific objectives, activities and deliverables

• Objective 1: Launch, data collection, and evaluation of human & animal diagnosis questionnaire in the participating countries
  • Activity 1.1: Distribution of a questionnaire to labs involved in T/CC diagnosis (both medical and veterinary).
    • Deliverable 1.1.1: List of diagnostics performed (humans, cattle and pigs)
    • Deliverable 1.1.2: Review paper on current diagnostic tools used & gaps: submitted
    • Deliverable 1.1.3: List of reference samples from all participating countries
  • Activity 1.2.: Evaluation of T/CC diagnostic tests/ facilities in the different countries (both medical and veterinary).
    • Deliverable 1.2: Recognition of key labs for T/CC diagnosis
  • Activity 1.3: Gap analysis on T/CC laboratory diagnosis in the labs from the participating countries (both medical and veterinary).
    • Deliverable 1.3.1: Recommendations to improve laboratory diagnostic assays for T/CC diagnosis
    • Deliverable 1.3.2: Review manuscript of laboratory diagnosis tools used (see above)

• Objective 2: Organization of an inter-laboratory ring trial on serological detection of NCC
  • Activity 2.1: Design of an inter-laboratory ring trial for NCC diagnosis based on Ab-detection, using the immunoassays employed by the different participating labs
    • Deliverable 2.1: Determination of Ab-diagnosis test performances in the different labs
  • Activity 2.2: Establishment of a serum samples panel, including sera from NCC patients, hydatidosis patients and healthy individuals
    • Deliverable 2.2: Identification of gaps on NCC laboratory Ab-serological diagnosis
  • Activity 2.3: Distribution of selected samples to the participating labs
  • Activity 2.4: Evaluation of Ab-serological diagnosis ring-trial data
    • Deliverable 2.3: Recommendations on laboratory Ab-serological procedures for NCC diagnosis
• Objective 3: Data bank of Taenia molecules with diagnosis potential, described by the different labs based on -omics approaches and bioinformatic analyses
  • Activity 3.1: Collection of diagnostic molecules data derived from genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic,…omic studies, carried out by participating groups
    • Deliverable 3.1: List of molecules with potential NCC diagnosis properties
  • Activity 3.2: Exchange and testing candidate antigens in serological assays between laboratories
    • Deliverable 3.2: Promising antigens for serological diagnosis of NCC identified
• Objective 4: Extend the network of stakeholders involved in Taenia spp diagnostics and fundamental research, with a focus on inclusiveness countries
  • Activity 4.1: Actively seek to increase the number of researchers involved in Taenia spp diagnostics and fundamental research, with a focus on inclusiveness countries
    • Deliverable 4.1: Increased nr of WG2 members, focus on inclusiveness countries
• Objective 5: Formal assessment of the prevalence of NCC and its clinical characteristics in Europe and overseas departments (continued form year 1)
  • Activity 5.1: Review on available information on prevalence and clinical characteristics of NCC in Europe and overseas departments (Continued from year 1)
    • Deliverable 5.1: Writing up and publication of the mansucript
• Objective 6: Exploring ways of a European registry TSCT/NCC (in collaboration with WP1)
  • Activity 6.1: Assess willingness of European partrners to contribute
    • Deliverable 6.1: Provide a list of countries willing to contribute
  • Activity 6.2: Assess funding possibilities
    • Deliverable 6.2: Provide a list of funding possibilities
  • Activity 6.3: Acquire pratical knowledge about what a registry should look like
    • Deliverable 6.3: Invite experts to inform on formailities and suggest a framework of a potential registry
• Objective 7: Exploring ways of establishing a EU wide mandatry reporting system for NCC (in collaboration with WP1)
  • Activity 7.1: Assess formalities of mandatory reporting of NCC in European partner countries
    • Deliverable 7.1: Provide a list of  European countries with and without a mandatory reporting system for NCC and describe formalities in those countries without a mandatory reporting system
• Objective 8: Collection of case reports of partner countries on NCC management
  • Activity 8.1: Ascertainment of those countries  with documented cases of NCC and collection of  related material information such as imaging etc
    • Deliverable 8.1: Provide a list of  European countries with information about NCC cases and detail that information
• Objective 9: Establishment of informal guidelines for NCC management in Europe
  • Activity 9.1: Assessment  of management of NCC in Europe based on expert opinion (focus group discussions)
    • Deliverable 9.1: Provide a summary of agreement and disagreement of management of NCC in Europe

Working Group 3

Overal objectives

The main objectives of this multidisciplinary WG are:

• To identify the optimal control and prevention tools within and outside the European Union for both diseases with a focus on new, integrated, innovative systems;
• To develop a harmonised reporting/surveillance system for cysticercosis/taeniosis within the European Union.

Year 2 specific objectives, activities and deliverables

• Objective 1: Assess control tools and algoritms for best bet options
  • Activity 1.1: Finalise questionnaire with the aim to prioritise available control tools
    • Deliverable 1.1: Finalised questionnaire
  • Activity 1.2.: Publish a review on control options and their applicability (Acta Tropica – special issue)
    • Deliverable 1.2: Review
  • Activity 1.3.: Propose  ‘best-bet’ option for control for endemic countries selected by WHO/FAO/OIE
    • Deliverable 1.3: Opinion note on best bet options
  • Activity 1.4.: Develop and assess education tool
    • Deliverable 1.4: Draft document on development of education tool
• Objective 2: Collect data from pilot control programs from endemic areas and look into adaptation to EU conditions
  • Activity 2.1: Study results from recently finalised pilot control studies
  • • Deliverable 2.1: Draft document with study results summary
  • Activity 2.2: Evaluate effect of Meat Inspection changes on occurrence of T. saginata
    • Deliverable 2.2: Viewpoint
• Objective 3: Extend the network of stakeholders involved in Taenia prevention and control to establish a multidisciplinary working group (incl expand dissemination)
  • Activity 3.1: Link with WHO/FAO/OIE informal T solium network
  • Activity 3.2: Link with EFSA
  • Activity 3.2: Link withother sectors (water & sanitation, eg World Water Forum etc) , continue seeking collaboration with relevant stakeholders
    • Deliverable 3.1: Increased no. of WG3 members, focus on inclusiveness countries