-
Natural sciences
- Computational biomodelling and machine learning
-
Medical and health sciences
- Epidemiology
- Parasitology
- Tropical medicine
-
Agricultural and food sciences
- Veterinary public health and food safety
Fascioliasis is a parasitic disease caused by the zoonotic worm species Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica. This disease affects the liver of mammalian hosts and is primarily known for its high burden and associated economic impact in livestock. However, during the last decades, fascioliasis has also become an emerging problem for public health. Today, 2.4 million people are estimated to be infected, and over 180 million people at risk in over 70 countries, including Vietnam. Despite the zoonotic nature of the disease, current control programmes use an exclusively human-centric approach. We hypothesise that to interrupt the disease transmission, a One Health approach is needed. To this end, we will develop the first disease transmission model for Fasciola that includes all four actors of the transmission cycle (humans, livestock, snails and water plants). We will calibrate and validate the model in a Vietnamese setting, where the emergence of fascioliasis has taken worrying proportions. To this end, we will collect Fasciola prevalence, socio-demographic and behavioural data in the Red River Delta to parameterize the model. In addition, we will assess the health and economic burden of fascioliasis in Vietnam. This model will be used to identify in silico the most cost-effective control strategies. Finally, we will translate the Vietnamese model to a general disease transmission model that will allow identification of the most feasible strategy in any scenario of endemicity.