How Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion Might Help Kill Taenia solium Eggs
Official title: Effect of Mesophilic Anaerobic Biodigestion on Taenia solium Egg Survival, Viability, and Infectivity: An Approach for Future Implementation to Control Helminth Infections.
Funded at Asociacion Benefica Prisma · NIH-11416309 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aiming to see if a low-cost waste-treatment system can also destroy dangerous Taenia solium eggs to reduce brain infections in communities that use MAD for sanitation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Asociacion Benefica Prisma NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lima, Peru) |
| Project start | September 11, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $134,039 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI183408-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11416309 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people in rural or resource-limited settings where MAD systems are or could be implemented and where Taenia solium transmission is a concern.
✕Less likely to help
Participants would not be directly recruited from clinical settings; the study uses laboratory experiments and animal models, not patient interventions.
What this research studies
This project tests whether mesophilic anaerobic digestion, used to treat household waste and provide energy, can also kill Taenia solium eggs. By exposing eggs to the MAD process for different lengths of time, researchers will assess egg survival and viability, then check if the eggs remain infectious by feeding them to pigs and examining tissue for cysts. The work explores practical adjustments to MAD to maximize parasite egg destruction, with a focus on rural areas where sanitation and energy needs are greatest. The study combines laboratory experiments with an animal-model component to gauge potential public-health benefits.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, MAD systems could offer a dual benefit: sanitation and renewable energy plus reduced risk of brain infections from parasites.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows MAD can treat waste and reduce pathogens, but its effect on Taenia solium eggs is being explored and results are not yet established.
Where this research is happening
-
Asociacion Benefica Prisma
Lima, Peru Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gonzales-Gustavson, Eloy Anibal — Asociacion Benefica Prisma
- Study coordinator: Gonzales-Gustavson, Eloy Anibal
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Aimed at improving how we detect Oropouche virus infections and track how it spreads in humans, animals, and mosquitoes in endemic areas.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.