Mathematical Techniques for Control of Epidemic Trypanosoma cruzi Transmission

描述(申请人提供)：恰加斯病，由单细胞寄生虫克氏锥虫引起，是一种可预防的疾病。然而，在美洲，死于恰加斯病的人比死于任何其他寄生虫感染的人都多。该申请将在宾夕法尼亚大学和约翰霍普金斯大学彭博公共卫生学院为申请者提供数学建模和现代计算机科学方面的基于教程的培训。培训将着眼于发展必要的技能，以解决阻碍恰加斯病控制的复杂问题。这项研究的长期目标是将对感染克鲁兹旋毛虫高危儿童的诊断测试纳入主要侧重于消灭媒介的控制计划，并更好地指导消灭媒介的运动。除了在美国以教程为基础的培训外，还将在秘鲁与#授予的研究补助金协调进行昆虫学和临床研究 福格蒂国际中心向塞萨尔·纳奎拉博士及其合作者致敬。在秘鲁南部拥有近100万居民的城市阿雷基帕，克氏锥虫和查加斯病已经成为城市问题。恰加斯病感染的一种安静的流行病正在全市蔓延。该应用程序的具体目的是：1)开发了解和控制克氏锥虫在流行情况下传播的技术；2.优化恰加斯病病媒控制的时空顺序 在阿雷基帕开展宣传运动，并阐明在其他地方控制病媒的最佳做法战略。在开发这些数学技术时，候选人将接受量化培训，这些培训将补充他以前在传染病方面的工作，并使他能够发展成为一名全面的独立调查员。相关性：将儿童T-ruzi感染的诊断纳入恰加斯病控制运动，有可能极大地降低秘鲁和其他地方查加斯病的发病率和死亡率。优化媒介控制运动的时空顺序可以增加这些运动消除未来T-ruzi传播的可能性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Chagas disease, caused by the unicellular parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a preventable disease. Nevertheless more people in the Americas die from Chagas disease than any other parasitic infection. This application will provide tutorial-based training to the applicant in mathematical modeling and modern computer science at the University of Pennsylvania and the Bloomberg School of Public Health of Johns Hopkins University. Training will be geared towards developing the skills necessary to address complex problems hindering the control of Chagas disease. The long term goal of the research is to integrate diagnostic testing of children at high risk of T. cruzi infection into control programs focused mainly on vector elimination, and to better guide vector elimination campaigns. In addition to tutorial-based training in the United States, entomologic and clinical research will be conducted in Peru in coordination with a research grant awarded by the Fogarty International Center to Dr. Cesar Naquira and collaborators. In Arequipa, a city of nearly one million inhabitants in southern Peru, T. cruzi and Chagas disease have become urban problems. A quiet epidemic of Chagas disease infection is progressing across the city. The specific aims of this application are: 1) To develop techniques to understand and control T. cruzi transmission in epidemic situations, and, 2. To optimize the spatio-temporal ordering of the Chagas disease vector control campaign in Arequipa, and to elucidate best-practice strategies for vector control elsewhere. In developing these mathematical techniques the candidate will receive quantitative training that will complement his previous work on infectious disease and allow him to develop into a well-rounded independent investigator. RELEVANCE: Integrating diagnosis of children for T cruzi infection into Chagas control campaigns has the potential to greatly reduce morbidity and mortality due to Chagas disease in Peru and elsewhere. Optimizing the spatio-temporal order of vector control campaigns can increase the probability that these eliminate future transmission of T cruzi.